Chasing The Truth
by FlikFreak
Summary: Sequel to Playing For Keeps. A visit to Shibuya quickly turns into another journey when Sora and his friends are ambushed by nobodies. Forced to flee, he quickly learns that there's a new enemy after them, more dangerous than even the Organization...
1. Prologue: The Dream

Hmm...looks like the site is fixified. Now we can get on with this.

TO ALL OF MY AWESOME READERS OUT THERE. You were the ones that made Playing For Keeps the story it was, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You guys are totally made of win and awesomeness.

_Playing For Keeps_, for those of you that don't know, began as a plot bunny, but it quickly gained popularity and became one of my most popular fanfics ever. I didn't want to write a sequel at first, but I was torn. There was a possibility of another story unfolding, but I didn't want to spoil it. I finally came up with an idea that seemed plausible, and with a bit of encouragement given to me by one of my reviewers via MSN, I decided that yes, I will write a sequel.

So, here's the sequel to _Playing for Keeps_. Enjoy, everyone! n.n Also, a quick note that this fic WILL change categories later on.

Summary: Kingdom Hearts/World Ends With You crossover, Sequel to Playing For Keeps. An attack in the streets of Shibuya convinces Neku that someone's after him, and they'll chase him across the universe if they have to. With Shibuya no longer safe, Neku is forced to flee to other worlds, but the enemy is intent on capturing him alive…but for what?

**Chasing The Truth**

**The Sequel to Playing For Keeps**

**By FlikFreak**

**Prologue: The Dream**

* * *

Neku ran.

His feet stamped against the cold pavement, the world having frozen entirely around him…everything, that is, except for his pursuer. People had stopped in midstride, cars in the street, signs that had been flickering…even the raindrops had paused, splashing against his face as he ran into them.

_**You musn't run. I am not an enemy.**_

But Neku ignored him. He ran, his foot slamming into a puddle of water, splashing it outward. The droplets of upset liquid froze in midair, but Neku had no time to marvel at the sight. He continued to flee.

A thought struck him. Why was he running, anyway? He recognized the voice – although barely – but he hadn't seen its owner. As much as he wished them too, however, his legs wouldn't stop moving. Terror seeped into him, and he sped forward.

_**I am afraid that running from your fate is futile. Such a sad, but unavoidable thing that destiny is…**_

But Neku didn't stop. He kept running.

It was only moments before the music-loving boy found himself cornered at the wall in Udagawa. How fitting that he would end up dying here again, just like he had the first time. He spun, finally getting a good look at his pursuer.

"Back off!" Neku yelled, standing in a defensive stance. Oh, if only he were in the UG, he could use his psychs…

The one that had chased Neku finally came into the light: it was none other than Sora himself, but with a major difference: rather than his normal self, his face was completely devoid of emotion, and the keyblade was gripped tightly in his hand. His eyes were blank, and not in the emotional sense – they glowed a soft, light blue. It would have been a comforting aura had it not made him look like an empty shell of sorts.

_**Why do you run? I am not your enemy.**_

The boy's voice troubled Neku the most. It was two sounds at once: Sora's own voice, and someone else's. While not malevolent, it still put Neku in a state of unease. He pressed his back to the graffiti-covered wall. "What makes you think I'll go with you?!" He demanded, not knowing what he was speaking of, but saying it anyway.

_**All you know and love will suffer if you do not.**_

"Is that a threat?" Neku snarled.

The twisted version of Sora looked to the side, and Neku followed his gaze. Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme stood trapped by a cage of twisting, writhing vines of darkness. Beat was busy holding his sister close and comforting her, while Shiki reached desperately through the bars for Neku. The proxy clenched his fists. "Shiki!"

_**They will stop at nothing to use you.**_

Neku spun back around. "Who?"

_**The enemy.**_

"Three cheers for being specific," Neku grumbled. "What does this enemy of yours want?"

_**They seek the power that sleeps within you.**_

He hesitated, absently placing a hand over his heart. "The power…that sleeps within me?"

_**Yes. Allow it to be awakened, and your friends will be free, but the enemy will stop at nothing to capture you unless you defeat them.**_

Neku clenched his teeth. More of this nonsense…hadn't he already done his share of heroics by now? "Why?" he asked angrily. "What do they want with-"

Sora interrupted him, lifting the keyblade, pointing its end directly at Neku. A light gathered at the tip, and Neku froze in terror.

_**Your journey has yet to begin, Neku Sakuraba. You could run from it, and thus abandon the safety of those you love, or throw yourself into danger's grip to protect them. There is no alternative.**_

The light burst forth. It slammed into him, drawing a scream from his throat…

Neku snapped up in bed, eyes wide and lungs screaming for air. It took him all of two seconds to realize that he had only been dreaming.

But how? It had felt so _real_…

Glancing at the alarm clock, Neku sighed and stood, heading for the bathroom to get ready for the day. He and the others had a concert to put on, and his recent troubling dreams weren't helping his beauty sleep too much.

Even as he turned on the shower, the voice still resonated in his mind.

_**Your journey has yet to begin, Neku…**_

* * *

And there's your prologue, peeps. Sorry it's so short, but it IS a prologue. Hopefully it'll tide you over until chapter one, so stay tuned!


	2. Reunited

Here's the long-awaited (maybe) chapter one. I should note that for now, nothing _too _extreme happens. Yet.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter One: Reunited**

* * *

_Did he hear you?_

_I'd assume so, given the fact that he responded._

_Makes sense. Can you do it yet?_

_No. There's no one close to him at the moment. What do you want me to do, show up by myself? There's no way I can do it like that._

_There's Sora._

…_augh. Can't we do something else? I hate it when I have to-_

_There's no choice. Besides, you know he'll understand in the end. He always does._

_Sure hope so._

* * *

To say that the concert was a smash hit was a vast understatement. Neku was afraid he'd get some stage fright at first, but with a few helpful tips – from Beat, of all people – he made it through the event without stuttering once, and the group even received an encore. Once the curtains had closed, the group began packing up their instruments and ate a small "stage picnic dinner" that Hanekoma had packed them as a celebration backstage.

"That was tight, yo!" Beat said as he tore open his bag. "The place was _packed_!"

"I thought I'd go deaf from all that cheering," Shiki commented after taking a sip from her green tea. "That was really cool though, with the encore and everything."

Rhyme beamed. "You did really good on your solo part, Shiki. I never knew you'd be a good singer."

Shiki blushed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah! You should do a duet with Neku sometime."

Neku chuckled nervously. "I dunno, we'll have to see if we can find a song for that or something. By the way, anyone seen Mr. H yet?"

Almost as if on cue, Hanekoma himself arrived from backstage. "Hey, Players! Enjoy yourselves out there?"

"You bet!" Rhyme said. "The crowd was cheering and everything! We even got an encore! It was so cool!"

"This is totally going down in the history books, yo!" Beat said as he unwrapped a rice cake. "I don't think I've ever had a day in my life that kicked this much ass."

"What Beat said," Neku added. "It was amazing, hearing them cheer for us…the encore really surprised me. I didn't think we'd be that well received."

Mr. H chuckled. "Glad to hear it," he said. "By the way, I've got some visitors for you guys. The came a _long way_ to see you."

"Visitors?" Neku echoed.

"Talent scouts, maybe?" Rhyme suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

The graffiti artist simply grinned, casting a glance back to the staircase. "Hey, you three ganna come or what?"

Though Hanekoma mentioned several of them, only one person appeared at first. A slim girl with long auburn hair and a pink-and-white dress jogged forward. "Sorry about that, Mr. H," she said. "The other two had a bit of trouble with security, but Joshua helped sort it out; they're on their way…"

Shiki tilted her head. "You're kind of young to be an agent," she observed. "Who are you?"

The girl laughed lightheartedly. "Oh, sorry! I'm Kairi. Nice to meet you."

Neku's eyes widened. He knew that name. He knew it well. "You're Kairi?" he said. "And the others with you are…"

Promptly, two more people entered. One of them wore a pair of long, baggy jeans and a white-and-yellow vest, his long silver hair nearly cloaking his turquoise eyes entirely. The boy's stature reminded him a lot of Beat. Next to the silver-haired boy was a figure that Neku would have been able to make out had it not been for Beat suddenly tackling him to the floor.

"Sora! Great to see you again, yo! How've ya been?!"

The keyblade master managed to squeak out "Medic!" before Beat got the idea and let him go. Fortunately, Sora had been through a lot worse than a bear-hug (or a "Beat Hug" as Rhyme once called it) and survived without any fractured bones, although he was quite winded once released.

Shiki's eyes lit up at the sight of the keyblade master. "Sora! You came!"

"Nice to see you in the RG again," Neku said, grinning from ear to ear.

Sora grinned, waving and standing. "Hey, Neku! Hey, everyone! You guys were _great_ out there!"

"Who're your friends?" Rhyme asked politely.

The brunette smacked his head. "Oh, right. This is Riku…" he gestured to the silver-haired boy, whom only nodded politely, "…and Kairi." The girl grinned cheerfully and waved. "They're my friends from the islands that I told you about."

"Nice to meet you!" Kairi said, bowing politely. Riku, meanwhile, simply nodded.

Rhyme nodded in return. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"You're wearing the jacket I made you!" Shiki exclaimed when Sora finally dusted himself off.

Sora grinned. "Yeah. It's really comfortable. Thanks."

"Nice of you all to come see us, Sora," Neku said, speaking up. "We really missed you."

"We've looked forward to coming," Kairi said. "Sora told us all about this place and the adventures he had with you. We couldn't wait to come when we heard about your concert!"

"Sora's not a bad singer himself," Riku said, casting a long glance at the brunette in question. "If we could get a note or two out of him…"

"Hey!" Sora protested. "I'm a shy singer, okay?"

Riku just chuckled at him and muttered something about fish.

"How's Roxas?" Neku asked, propping one of his arms up on his knee.

Sora closed his eyes a moment, then opened them again and nodded. "He's happy to see you too. I'd get him to come out, but he's exhausted from the trip over."

"We _all_ are," Kairi said. "No offense, Sora, but I can kinda see why Donald never let you drive before."

"We were being ambushed by a flood of enemy ships while dodging asteroids," Sora protested hotly. "What'd you expect?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "At any rate, we did get hit a few times, so we'll probably be staying here until Chip and Dale fix up the _Excalibur_."

"Chip and Dale?" Rhyme echoed.

"They're our mechanics," Sora explained. "Normally they don't tag along with us, but the pathway here was a bit crowded, so they volunteered. Luckily they're pretty fast at what they do, so they might even be done now."

"Think you could take us to meet them later?" Shiki asked.

"I don't see why not."

The rest of the night was spent with idle banter to accompany the teenagers. Neku noticed how Sora seemed to be in higher spirits than when he first met him. He even seemed less pale for some reason. It didn't take much time to make a guess; Sora had told him during the course of the game that he had felt slightly ill, and when he found out that his friends had been taken as his entry fee, he had been devastated. Now that his friends were free again, the boy was much more at ease.

Kairi was an interesting girl with a friendly air about her. There was a strange feeling that Neku got from her that he also got from Sora, but he didn't press the issue. According to Sora, Kairi had been kidnapped by a man who later aided Sora in his journey, but she had done her share of fighting in the end.

In almost complete contrast to Sora and Kairi, Riku was an enigma to Neku. He didn't speak very much, but he proved to be a lot more calm than his two other friends. Riku was also quite intelligent and loyal, and wasn't afraid to poke fun at Sora when given the opportunity (Apparently he considered Sora a total sap, sparking a small dispute between the two which lasted all of twelve seconds). He also kept looking at Neku oddly, giving him a stare that the former proxy wasn't too sure he liked or not.

"How's everything in the Game?" Sora asked hesitantly.

An unsettling quiet came over the Players, but Neku spoke up anyway. "Joshua says they haven't had any problems, thankfully. Ever since we got rid of Pi-Face and Xsoh, things have been pretty quiet there. No heartless anywhere, but the reapers are still on the lookout for any leftovers."

"What about you?" Shiki asked. "How've your travels been?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Sora replied. "The restoration committee hasn't picked up anything serious lately. They got a reading a while ago, but it wasn't that big, so Leon and Yuffie looked into it."

"It took forever for Sora to convince Cid to let us come here," Kairi said. "For some reason he changed his mind pretty quick at the last second. He told us to be careful, though, like we were going to be fighting an army heartless or something."

"Probably still worked up about what happened last time Sora came here," Neku said. "After all, he _did_…" His voice trailed off.

Silence returned as Neku recalled what had happened. He had been caught in an accident that killed him, but woke up in the UG early due to Joshua's urging. He hadn't witnessed Sora's own death, but he _had_ arrived moments after Minamimoto's heartless had fled the scene, with Joshua's gun in his hand and Sora's lifeless body on the cement, blood seeping from the bullet hole that had been in his skull. It still haunted him, and he had to use all his willpower not to look at that same place on Sora's head. The keyblade master's fingers twitched, but he shoved them roughly into his lap. Neku knew what he would have been doing with them.

Rhyme must have known of the proxy's unease, and she made haste to break the ice. "Sora, do you still have that charm I got you?"

Sora changed gears faster than the trends changed in Shibuya. His face lit up with excitement. "Yeah! I carry it with me everywhere!"

"I never got to see what she got you," Shiki stated. "Can you show us?"

At the comment, Sora's face flushed red and he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Uhm, well, actually, right now it's…"

"You said you carry it with you everywhere, right?" Beat reminded him. "Let's see it, yo!"

"But…"

Riku rolled his eyes. "Sora, just show them. The longer you put it off, the more embarrassed you're going to be."

_Embarrassed?_ Neku echoed, stifling a chuckle. _This ought to be interesting._

Sora sighed. "Well," he began. "You see…the keyblade accepted it."

Rhyme blinked, obviously not knowing what to think. "Huh? It…accepted it?"

Kairi nudged Sora. "Go on."

With a nervous gulp, Sora reached out in front of him, fingers spread outward. Neku recognized the gesture as one he used to summon the keyblade normally, in times that he just wanted to see it and didn't necessarily need to defend himself. Neku was about to question what the keyblade had to do with Rhyme's charm when it appeared.

The brilliant, golden handle was elegantly curved around Sora's hand. The shaft, which was tinted a beautiful bronze color, was moderately long, engraved with several interweaving designs that could only just barely be made out. A metallic curl was set at the end, clearly identifying the weapon as a keyblade, reminding Neku a lot of the graffiti-like flames that he used to summon. Like with all keyblades, a keychain dangled from the loop at the end of the hilt. There, dangling at the end of the said keychain, was a familiar golden bell.

Rhyme's charm.

"So _that's_ what you meant," Shiki said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It can take on a different form?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't work for just any keychain, but Roxas was curious to see if it would, so I tried and, well…it worked."

Neku glanced over at Rhyme. The girl's jaw was open slightly, her eyes lost in wonder. She kept trying to speak, but was at loss for words. It was only when Sora spoke that the silence was broken.

"The look on his face was priceless when he first saw it."

Within a split second, everyone gave Sora a blank stare and he clapped one hand over his mouth. After realizing what had just happened, Sora put on a quite effective pouting face. "Roxas, that's not funny."

"He did it again?" Kairi said with a hint of understanding in her voice.

Beat did not hesitate to scamper back. "S-Sora's possessed by that ghost?"

Neku rolled his eyes. "We went through this like fifteen times, Beat. Roxas is _not_ a ghost."

"Guess we shouldn't introduce him to Naminé, then," Riku commented, a sly smirk on his face.

There wasn't a chance to ask who Naminé was when Hanekoma entered. "Hey, you guys. They're ganna lock the place up in 'bout half an hour. You almost ready to go?"

"Yeah," Shiki said. "Where are Sora and the others going to stay, though?"

Sora scratched his head sheepishly. "I, uh…didn't think about that part. I thought we'd be sleeping on the Excalibur, but…"

"You can stay over at my place," Neku offered. "My mom's cool with it, and we're having a sleepover anyway. How long are you guys staying?"

"Just until tomorrow or so," Kairi said, looking disappointed. "Sora wanted to show us Shibuya so badly, so he brought us here with him. We aren't planning on staying too long though, because…" She looked at Sora, whom stared at the keyblade in his hands.

_Other worlds. Of course._ "Well, we can give you the grand tour tomorrow if you want," Neku suggested. "I know Sora's seen a lot of Shibuya already, but I'm fine with showing you guys around, too."

Kairi beamed. "Thanks, Neku!"

The rest of their conversation was cut short when a few of the lights started going out, signaling that the concert hall was closing down. Neku stood, gathering an uneaten rice cake to eat on the way home, and led everyone out of the building.

The streets were dark at night, and the sky hardly visible. Shiki and Kairi talked avidly about clothing design on the way to the bus stop (Kairi was fascinated by design and was more than willing to listen to Shiki ramble on) while Sora, whom had dismissed the keyblade earlier, was speaking to Beat and Rhyme about his home on the islands. While waiting at the bus stop, Neku glanced down the streets. Their ride would be here any minute.

"You were Sora's partner in the Reaper's Game, right?"

Neku spun around on force of habit, ready to strike, but only found that the silver-haired boy that Sora had brought along was talking to him. He paused, and nodded. "Y-Yeah. Riku, right? Why do you ask?"

Riku's expression was indiscernible as he looked Neku over. "He told me a lot about you," he said. "You haven't had any strange dreams lately, have you?"

The world seemed to come to a screeching halt around Neku. His eyes widened considerably when Riku's words sunk in. _What the…how does he know about…_

"I think I'll take that as a yes," Riku stated calmly. "Looks like that day isn't as far off as the king suspected."

"The king?" Neku echoed. "Who're you talking about?"

His question went ignored. "The bus is here."

Disgruntled from not getting an answer, Neku climbed onto the bus and stuffed himself into a seat. His friends placed themselves nearby, with Sora getting a spot next to Neku. "How's everything been since I was gone?" he asked quietly.

"No sign of heartless in the UG," Neku replied, knowing that neither of them wanted to reflect on the game, but it was still necessary. "Like I said, they left when Pi-Face did. Why're you asking me this again?"

"I know you wouldn't want to be so open about it with the others," Sora replied. "You don't seem like the type of person that would drag others into your problems, so if there was more that you couldn't tell the rest of them…" He let his sentence trail off and nodded vaguely to get his point across.

Neku quirked an eyebrow. "You're pretty perceptive," he commented.

Sora shrugged. "Roxas was the one that noticed," he said. "Anyway, it's good to know things are quiet here."

"How 'bout you?" Neku asked. "Any insane adventures you've been on after you left?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah. Nothing as big and exciting as Shibuya was, though. Me, Riku and Kairi went to visit the king before we came here, and there are still problems on some worlds, but there's nothing seve-" Sora choked suddenly, clapping one hand over his face. "Urgh!"

Neku's eyes widened and he placed his hands on Sora's shoulders, steadying the boy as he shivered. "Sora! You okay?!"

He looked anything but. When Sora stopped shivering, he sat up, looking over at Neku. For a very, very brief moment, the keybearer's eyes were glowing a soft, light blue. Startled, Neku began to back away, but Sora shook it off and rubbed his head, his eyes returning to the normal deep blue hue they were before. "Ugh…what in…"

"You okay, Sora?" Rhyme asked, having noticed the boy's sudden convulsion.

Sora smiled cheerfully, the strange occurrence having left the instant it came. "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't know where it came from."

"Was it Roxas?" Riku asked in a hushed voice.

To their surprise, Sora shook his head. "No. Not Roxas. He's trying to figure out what just happened, too."

Still calming down, Neku pressed his back against his seat, spending the rest of the trip in silence. If Roxas wasn't the one that caused Sora's sudden seizure, then who did?

And why did those eyes look so much like the ones in his dream…?

* * *

…I can't design _or_ describe keyblades to save my life. XD Anywho, there's chapter one! Sorry if it was slow for anyone; I promise chapter 2 is probably a lot better than this one x.X

Characters met in this chapter:

Daisukenojo "Beat" Baito (_The World Ends With You)  
_Kairi (_Kingdom Hearts_)  
Neku Sakuraba (_The World Ends With You_)  
Raimu "Rhyme" Baito (_The World Ends With You_)  
Riku (_Kingdom Hearts_)  
Roxas (_Kingdom Hearts_)  
Sanae Hanekoma (_The World Ends With You_)  
Shiki Misaki (_The World Ends With You_)  
Sora (_Kingdom Hearts_)  
Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu (_The World Ends With You_)


	3. A Visit Cut Short

In which the tour of Shibuya doesn't last quite as long as it should.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Two: A Visit Cut Short**

* * *

Neku's mother was a very kind woman. Sora gave her a polite bow when he entered her home and once introductions had passed the group all made their way up to the attic, which didn't look like an attic aside from the stereotypical pointed ceiling made of wood. Several sleeping bags had been laid out, and though Neku willingly gave his up for Sora, the key bearer (as well as both of his friends) was fine without one.

The night began when Neku dove behind a rather dusty-looking sofa (in truth, the fabric was just old) and pulled out a large box of what was apparently some form of snack food. Sora took a stick of it tentatively; it looked suspiciously like a breadstick covered in frosting with the very end of it left bare.

"You're supposed to hold it the _other _way, Sora," Neku said absently, handing a few sticks to everyone else and placing the box in the center of their little circle. Sora corrected himself and took a small nibble. This treat – pocky, as Shiki had called it – was rather tasty.

Meanwhile, Riku and Kairi had managed to wring the truth out of Beat, whom stared at the ground in embarrassment. "I've been drawin' for years, yo," he said quietly. "I only got into graffiti and other stuff recently."

"Are you going to go to art school?" Kairi asked.

Beat shrugged. "Maybe."

"I haven't been to school in ages," Sora grumbled. "I never thought I'd miss it."

"Why not?" Neku asked, his expression curious. "Why haven't you been in school, I mean."

Sora sighed. _This'll be easy,_ he thought sarcastically. "Well, even after the islands were destroyed and put back together again, there were still people that needed my help, so I couldn't go home yet. Even after I finally did, the Restoration Committee asked for my help, since there are still leftovers running around…"

Neku sent a questioning look to Riku and Kairi. The silver haired boy nodded in response, answering his unspoken question. "Before, there was a heartless named Xehanort who was controlling the heartless. There were tons more then, and they went around stealing many people's hearts so that Xehanort could gain control of absolute darkness. After Sora defeated him, the heartless went down in number, but we had to deal with Nobodies, too. They were under the control of Organization XIII, which we all managed to take down somehow. There are fewer nobodies than before, too, but they're still running around at any rate, so we're basically cleaning up the aftermath right now until the number is low enough to where we _don't_ have to run all over the universe."

"That sounds harsh," Shiki said.

"It's not too bad," Sora insisted. "I got to meet you, after all. Going home when nothing comes up is weird, though. I mean, I didn't have to use the formula for the area of a circle when me and Neku were fighting Xsoh."

"I still want to know what made you toss the keyblade at me," Neku said, staring at the ceiling for a moment.

Sora shrugged. "I knew that the Minamimoto we were fighting knew how _you_ fought, and since he knew about the keyblade he would know how _I_ fought, too." He paused, remembering the moment. "I kind of had a spur-of-the-moment idea that maybe if _you_ were the one with the keyblade and _I_ was the one with the psyches, then he'd get confused. Of course, I didn't really use psyches…just a bit of magic."

Neku chuckled. "It worked at any rate," he said. "But it was still weird, holding the keyblade like that."

On cue, the keyblade appeared in Sora's hand, resting in his lap like a snoozing kitten. All eyes turned to it; Rhyme's charm still dangled off of the end. Sora gave it a thoughtful look, and he felt Roxas grinning at it. "Odd," he muttered. "It doesn't show up on its own very often."

"Maybe it wants something," Riku suggested. Sora nodded in agreement, his eyes not leaving the blade

"The keyblade has a mind of its own?" Rhyme asked quietly, her eyes locked on the decorated end of the bronze shaft.

Kairi nodded. "The keyblade chooses its master," she said. "But other than that, we don't know very much about it. I think someone told me once that it was power given form, or light given form or _something_…they weren't very specific, but there's a connection between it and Kingdom Hearts."

"The heart of all worlds," Sora said, remembering what Xehanort's Heartless had called it. "Both Xehanort's Heartless _and_ Xemnas were after it."

"Sounds like there's still a lot you don't know," Shiki stated. "But you've still saved the day time and again."

Sora shrugged. "I don't get it, either. You'd think that being the hero would make you know about all this, but I've got way more questions than answers. I've wondered about the keyblade more often than not."

"Like how it can change its appearance?" Neku suggested.

"Yeah."

Kairi crossed her arms. "Now that you mention it, don't you think something's off with the way it is now? I mean, it's beautiful, but something's missing."

"It does seem that way," Riku stated. "But I don't think it's got anything to do with the way it _looks_."

The statement was just about as puzzling as the riddle. The group pondered the mystery before someone finally spoke up on it.

"It doesn't have a name," Sora said suddenly. All eyes turned to him, and he shrugged. "Every keychain I've ever had always got a name. I haven't named this one yet."

Riku lifted an eyebrow. "So _that's_ what it was. Now it makes sense."

"Why haven't you named it?" Neku asked.

"We tried," Kairi offered, "But not just _any_ name will work. It has to be the right one. We went through tons of them, and couldn't come up with anything. I didn't know the name was that important until Sora pointed out that it didn't feel complete."

Beat lifted a finger in the air, his eyes brightening. "Yo! I've got an idea!"

Neku rolled his eyes. "We're not naming it after _you_, Beat."

"Not me, man," Beat replied, "I just thought…the keychain; it looks a lot like Rhyme's pendant, right? So, uh, maybe the name has to do with _that_, yo!"

The words struck a chord in Sora's heart. Beat, while not always the brightest of the four Shibuya teens, did tend to have his moments of brilliance, even if they were awkward. The mention of the name having something to do with Rhyme's pendant was quite on the mark. After several moments of thought, he knew what the boy had really meant.

Riku sat back, eyes lost in contemplation. "It's possible. It doesn't always work that way, but…"

Sora shook his head. "I think I know what Beat's saying." He held the keyblade in both hands, the charm ringing a little when it moved, and looked closely at it. "See, the only keychains that ever worked usually have a strong connection with someone. You can't just go to a store and take one and expect it to work. Usually, if it's got a really strong meaning to it, it'll work. I've gotten almost all of mine as gifts, like the one the moogles made me as thanks for keeping Radiant Garden safe. Rhyme's charm worked, too, because it's special in the same way."

"But what does that have to do with a name?" Shiki asked.

"I've always named a keychain after something relating to the person who gave it to me, or where it came from, if it didn't already have a name." Sora stared at the weapon intently, as though it would speak to him. "I think this one already has a name…we just don't know what it is yet."

Neku sighed. "Then how are we supposed to find out what it is?"

Sora shook his head. "_We_ don't. Rhyme does."

Rhyme blinked. "…me?"

Without a word, Sora handed her the keyblade. "You're the one that gave it to me. You should name it."

To say the girl was startled was an understatement. Tentatively, she took the object in her hands, holding it with great reverence. Sora wasn't sure whether or not it was a trick of the light, but the keyblade seemed to brighten when she held it. She looked up at Sora questioningly, but he just smiled. _She can do this._

After another few moments, Rhyme looked back down at the keyblade in her hand as though realizing something, and she spoke. "Remembered Dream," she said softly. The moment she did, the keyblade vanished in a flash of golden light and a whirl of ethereal wind, reappearing in Sora's hands. Rhyme blinked, startled. "What happened?"

Sora smiled. "I think we found its name," he said.

* * *

Deep in the farthest reaches of the Cavern of Remembrance, a figure dressed in red crossed her arms. Clawed fingers tapped patiently, and she kept her red, pointed hat low enough to cover most of her face. "This is the place," she muttered. "It's hard to believe I'm looking upon it with my own eyes…"

"Well, now we know where it is, don't we?" Said a blonde-haired young man. He tugged at his blue vest and winced, dusting off his baggy blue slacks and tapping the toe of one of his shoes on the ground. "I swear; that place was as bad as the castle itself, if not worse. The number of heartless alone made my tail twitch. I admit, though, we _do_ have that ambassador woman to thank for finding this place for us."

"Keep your daggers ready, Zidane," the woman replied. "We may have company. After all, if this is what they were seeking and if they've already found it like the woman said…"

Zidane, as the young man was apparently named, nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Though, I wouldn't call her a _woman_, seeing how short she is." He leveled a hand close to the ground to make his point. "What's in here anyway, Freya?"

Freya clenched her fists, her own whip-like tail twitching nervously. "Something that should have been better off forgotten…which is why we're reporting this to the Committee right away."

* * *

Neku woke up to find himself staring at the back of Sora's head. For a brief moment, he expected the sounds of the street, the music of the UG to pour into his ears, and his phone to ring with the day's mission. When nothing happened, he almost felt sick before slapping himself on the head with the realization that he wasn't in the game anymore. He had sat up out of force of habit anyway, though, and noticed that Riku was also awake. When the silver-haired boy noticed him, he glanced back down at Sora. "I really wonder how he sleeps so well," he whispered.

"Why's that?" Neku asked. "He sleeps like a log."

"He's got a lot on his shoulders," Riku replied. "Between saving people, saving worlds, sealing keyholes and remembering to follow the rules of world order, he somehow manages to put on a cheerful face. For a while he even had to deal with the fact that he was being used for his enemy's purposes whether he liked it or not. It's almost inhuman how cheerful he can be."

Neku couldn't help but agree. Sora had been on edge during his entire time in Shibuya the first time. Maybe because… "Did he tell you all about what happened…in the game?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah, first thing when he came back. He was a bit dodgy about some of it, though. He absolutely refused to tell us what the entry fee business was about, or what it was. When he came back and saw us for the first time afterward, he nearly broke down in tears, he was so happy to see us. He doesn't do that often."

_So he didn't tell them about the entry fee,_ Neku thought. _Knowing him, he probably doesn't want to worry them…or embarrass himself._

The silver-haired boy turned to Neku, directing a stern and narrow gaze at him. "You know something about it."

It wasn't a question. The former proxy sighed and looked away. "What happens in the game _stays_ in the game," he said sternly. "If Sora didn't tell you, then I have no place to."

Riku didn't seem convinced; Neku's words only seemed to annoy him. Even so, he dropped the subject and looked away with a hint of understanding in his eyes.

It wasn't long before everyone else woke up. Beat was apparently a late sleeper, and only Rhyme managed to rouse him from his slumber without getting an inaccurate (but rather powerful, as Sora found out the hard way) swat to the nose.

"Oh yeah!" the skater cried. "We was ganna give you guys the tour of Shibuya, yo!"

"We can start at Hachiko," Shiki suggested. "There's some really nice shops there, and Dogenzaka isn't very far away. We can head to Ramen Don's for lunch."

"I've never really had ramen before," Kairi said. "Is it good?"

"You bet it is!" Sora exclaimed. "I had some while I was here. Don't let the smell fool you; it tastes amazing!"

"Better than Sea Salt Ice Cream?" Riku asked, smirking.

Sora put on a pouting face that Neku was sure actually belonged to Roxas. "No way. Sea Salt Ice Cream is _sacred_."

Neku grinned. "Is this Roxas or Sora we're talking to?" he questioned.

"Both," Sora replied, his voice heavily monotone.

Breakfast was served the moment they all went downstairs. After eating and giving a polite farewell, they made their way to the bus stop, with Sora once again picking a place next to Neku. Rhyme sat next to Sora as well, with Beat staying protectively close to her as usual. Shiki, Kairi and Riku remained on the other side, with the said silver-haired boy still staring at Neku like he was a criminal. Sora must have noticed Neku's unease, and he just whispered to him, "Don't worry. He always looks like that around people he doesn't know well."

Roughly five minutes later, the group found themselves getting off at the scramble nearest to Shibuya's number one meet-up spot: The statue of Hachiko. Countless people walked about, some passing by and others waiting, and the burger shop nearby received its fill of customers.

"This is _the_ meeting place of Shibuya?" Riku asked.

Neku nodded. "Yep. The River is past the station underpass down the street, but we're not going there."

Riku crossed his arms. "Why not?"

"We just aren't," Sora said before Neku could come up with an excuse. With a surprised expression, Riku dropped the subject.

The group proceeded to the scramble crossing, which was crowded with pedestrians on the sidewalk. Sora walked so casually down it that Neku had to pull on his hoodie and remind him to wait for the signal to cross. Once they did, Kairi was astounded by the sheer number of people that went across the street at once. Neku just shrugged and told her, "You get used to it." She didn't seem entirely too convinced.

By Shiki's insistence, the group stopped by the 104 tower. While they didn't really buy anything, Riku and Kairi's jaws dropped when they saw the stores inside. When Kairi asked why Sora never bought anything, he only shrugged and said he didn't have the time to, which was partially true.

After having their fun in 104, the group headed to Dogenzaka for some lunch. The moment they entered, Riku and Kairi instinctively winced from the smell, but Neku hastily ordered them some of Ken Doi's best ramen and their expressions changed rather quickly.

"You're Sora's friends, right?" He said. "Here ya go, then. On the house."

"Thanks, Mr. Doi," Sora said, grinning from ear to ear.

Riku was hesitant about the ramen, even though it tasted good, but Kairi was very quick to compliment it. By the time they were finished, however, Riku gave Sora an odd expression that only the brunette himself could possibly hope to understand.

After lunch, Neku led the way to AMX, stopping in to give several new albums a listen. Riku was surprisingly quite interested in music, namely soundtracks and other calming tunes rather than heavy rock, but the group got a surprise when they saw several fans purchasing the Player's first album, "The World Ends With You."

"Where'd you get a name like that?" Sora asked, trying to keep his voice low so that they wouldn't be overheard.

Neku just grinned, remembering his chat with Hanekoma several weeks before Sora had arrived. "I'll explain it later."

After purchasing a few new songs for Neku's MP3 player, the group made their way outside and paused near Tipsy Tose Hall. "We could head to Udagawa or to Cat Street from here," Neku offered. "Your choice."

"What's Udagawa like?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah!" Sora added. "We never got to go there when I was here."

Neku felt his heart swell with pride. "That's where CAT's latest graffiti always is. He's the best at it." _Hanekoma always was…_

Eagerly, the music-loving boy made his way past Shibu-Q Heads and into the back alley. As usual, Neku found himself drawn in by the art painted on the walls, and approached quickly, leaving the others to run and catch up. Sora's eyes practically bulged from his head. "This looks more like a painting than graffiti," he said.

"I thought you'd been all over Shibuya, Sora," Riku said.

Sora shook his head. "Like I said, I never came _here_. We never got a chance to."

"Well, now you know," Neku said, an enormous smile on his face. "Isn't it great?"

"_Wonderful indeed, Neku Sakuraba."_

The group whirled around instinctively at the voice, and though they saw no one, they felt another presence. Neku clenched his fists, his smile having changed to a death glare. "Who's there?" he demanded.

They were answered by a small crowd of what had to be twenty creatures in white. Neku grit his teeth and tightened his hands into fists; the humanoids reminded him much of the Neoshadows he had encountered when Minamimoto was running the show, though the main exception remained that these had no eyes, only twitching, unzipped mouths full of fangs, and no antennae.

"Dusks," Sora snarled, summoning the keyblade in a matter of seconds. "What're they doing _here_?"

"I thought we wiped out the Organization?!" Riku demanded.

"_Ah, you did, didn't you? Both of you, with combined efforts, took down all but two."_

"Two?" Kairi echoed. "Who…"

"_The Key to Destiny, Roxas, remains alive and whole. Axel, however, did himself in to aid a pathetic excuse for a keybearer like you, Sora. You look like a child with a toy compared to Ventus."_

Sora froze. "What…?"

"_And how fortunate for us…we have you all gathered here in one place. The keybearers, the princess, and especially the proxy…just who we were looking for."_

Neku grit his teeth. Oh, if only he was in the UG, he could use his psyches. He felt utterly helpless without them, as much as he loathed admitting it.

"_Attack!"_

The Dusks lunged. With expertise, Sora batted them away with Remembered Dream, the keyblade pulsing with each hit. Riku took his share of fighting into his hands, and Kairi even summoned her own weapon. Neku wasn't entirely sure he could protect his friends, but he took his battle stance anyway. Shiki clutched Mr. Mew close to her, and Beat pulled a somehow disoriented Rhyme close. "Hang on, Rhyme. We ganna be okay, yo!"

"Beat," the girl muttered. "I can't…it…"

"Rhyme…?"

"I can't focus…something's…"

Neku ground his teeth together nervously when he registered Rhyme's new and unexplained condition. He only became angrier when he noticed that for each dusk slain, two more seemed to appear. Anyone nearby that had been shopping had fled.

"_Dusks! Leave the keybearers! Get me the proxy! Now! Chase him to the River and into the UG if you must! I want him alive!"_

"Who're you calling a proxy?" Neku protested, but had little time to react when he saw five monsters headed his way. Sora batted them out of the way, and sent a barrage of thunder spells to finish off a few more.

Riku hovered in midair for a brief moment, sending a barrage of black fireballs at the rest of the horde, finally finishing off, only for more to appear. "They're not about to give in!" he shouted. "Neku, they're not after us, they're after _you_!"

"And there's no sign of them stopping!" Shiki cried. "We've gatta run!"

"Run where?!" Beat said. "They ganna chase us even if we end up in the UG, yo! We can't run, and Rhyme's not so good right now!"

Sora's eyes lit up, and he sent another three dusks into oblivion. "Everyone follow me! We're leaving!"

Riku's eyes widened. "Leaving? But Sora-"

"There's no choice," Sora said, his voice taking on a serious tone that shouldn't have belonged. "Neku, everyone! Hurry!"

Without question, everyone ran after Sora (Rhyme was still out of composure, so Beat picked her up and utilized his skateboard to its fullest) as he sliced his way through the monsters that occupied the streets. Even as they did, Neku still questioned the keybearer's motives. "Sora! Where are we going?"

"We have to leave Shibuya!" Sora replied. "It's our only chance! If we stay here, it'll be the Game all over again, only ten times worse!"

Neku agreed without a word, not wanting to repeat such an experience. _But where else is there to go other than Shibuya?_

Sora skidded near a corner, diving into a back alley near the station underpass. "In here!" he cried, motioning to a bright, glowing portal on the ground. It was only when Sora pointed it out that Neku even saw it. "Quick!"

Neku dove in without question. One moment, he was in a back alley, pursued by dusks, the next he was in what appeared to be some sort of futuristic hangar with a large, colorful aircraft situated in the center. There was no time to marvel at the sight when Sora motioned the group up the stairs. "This way! They can still follow us!"

They raced up the stairs, ducking through a doorway into what appeared to be a large control panel of sorts. Sora stood in front of one of the seats and jabbed furiously at several buttons. "Chip! Dale! Do you copy?"

"Yessir, Sora!" A high-pitched voice replied.

"Get us out of here," Sora replied. "NOW!" With that, he sat down and buckled himself into the seat. "Everyone, find a place to sit and hang on!"

Riku and Kairi took the other two remaining seats, and the rest of the group was left to secure themselves on the floor. Neku barely had an idea what was happening; the world was moving around him so quickly. Then, the world around him began to tremble, and he found an unseen force shoving him against the wall.

He wasn't sure how long he was pressed there, but eventually Neku felt the pressure lessen, and he heard Sora, Riku and Kairi gasping for breath. He was about to look up when he suddenly felt exhausted. The impromptu escape from Udagawa had taken more out of him than he had anticipated.

Several minutes passed, the silence only broken by everyone panting for breath. Neku wiped the sweat off of his forehead and temporarily removed his headphones to do the same for around his neck. "They won't follow us here," Sora said, panting, "But we can't just float around forever."

Riku, whom had just gained his composure back from the battle, was steaming. "Sora, are you _nuts_?! This is _worse_ than meddling; you can't just...Ugh! You've got to be breaking like fifty rules, here!"

"The Dusks were after him _specifically_," Sora protested. "Plus, they would chase him without resting if they had to. What else could we do?"

"Well, we _could have_ found the source of that voice!" Riku suggested angrily. "Defeat him and stop the Dusks! Do you _ever_ think before you act?"

Kairi winced. "Riku, calm down. I think Sora's right; they would have done some serious harm to Shibuya if we stayed…"

"Someone care to explain what's going on?" Shiki asked loudly, hoping to get their attention. "What were those things, and why were they after us? And where are we now?"

Sora shook his head. "We can explain all that later when it's safe," he stated. "As for where we are, just take a look out the window next to you."

Shiki did. Whatever she saw made her eyes widen more than should have been physically possible. "Neku! Look!"

Scrambling to his feet and walking over, Neku peered out the window to see a sky filled with countless stars – more than he ever even saw (or ever would see) when he visited the countryside. Just fading from view was a small planet that he somehow recognized. The sight was, overall, beautiful, but startling at the same time when he realized exactly where he was. "We're in outer space?"

"Yep," Sora replied. "What did you think I meant by other worlds?"

"But why take us here?" Beat asked. "We can't just leave Shibuya, yo!"

Neku bit his lip. Beat was right; he couldn't just leave his home unannounced. But then there was the thought of those monsters chasing him. He had a strong feeling that they would stop at nothing to get to him, even if it meant hurting others. He narrowed his eyes; the decision was a difficult one. _I hate playing hero._

"Sora, you should take them back," Riku said. "Now."

The brunette sighed. "Geez," he said casually, "I'm not planning on _kidnapping_ them, Riku. We're just staying up here for a while until things calm down, then we'll head back and see what we can find about those Dusks that showed up."

"I don't think so," Kairi said, a hint of dread in her voice. "Sora, we're out of fuel."

Neku heard the sound of something slamming into the control panel and he spun to see Sora bashing his head against it. "Oh, for crying out loud! I thought we filled up at Radiant Garden before we came!"

"So now we're stranded," Riku deadpanned. "This is just great. How are we supposed to head back to Shibuya now?"

With a grim look on his face, Sora began reaching for several parts of the control panel in front of him. "I'll get Cid on the line. It shouldn't take too long."

A moment of uneasy silence fell on them while the brunette contacted help. Neku turned and noticed Rhyme shivering, and he made his way to her. "Rhyme, you okay?"

The girl shook her head, curling up into fetal position. "No…I don't feel so good…"

Beat narrowed his eyes, pulling his sister close. "You got anywhere for her to sleep on here, yo?"

"There's some sleeping quarters in the back," Riku suggested tiredly. "She can rest there."

"No," Rhyme protested. "Not sleep…something else…I feel…"

"Let me have a look," Kairi said, standing and leaving her chair to make her way over to Rhyme.

Beat was reluctant to let Kairi examine his sister, but he did so anyway while Kairi checked her pulse and forehead. Neku almost smiled; Kairi's antics reminded him of his mother. It was only when she did something unexpected that Neku knew just what she was doing.

Kairi closed her eyes and placed two fingers on Rhyme's heart. Rhyme flinched at first, but kept shivering like nothing had changed. After roughly a minute, Kairi pulled her hand away. "Medical attention," she decided quickly, her voice unusually serious. "And not just any."

Sora nodded, a grim look crossing his face. "Right."

"Change of plans then?" Riku asked, all anger from before having evaporated.

Neku bit his lip. _This is turning out to be an eventful day,_ he thought bitterly. _First, we run from monsters. Then we're out of fuel in the middle of space. To make matters even worse, Rhyme needs to see a doctor. Could today possibly get any worse?_

Shiki froze at something she saw in the window. "Guys? What's that?"

The island trio spun in their seats to see what she meant, and horrified looks crossed their faces when they saw a large, colorful mass slowly headed their way. "Not good," Riku stuttered, eyes wide.

_Right on cue,_ Neku grumbled inwardly.

"We're already in the gravitational field!" Riku continued, glancing at a screen to his left. "Sora, can't we pull up the emergency fuel reserves?"

"It's not responding!" The keybearer cried, fingers typing frantically at the keyboard in front of him. "We're going to have to make a landing!"

"You mean _crash_?!" Shiki exclaimed.

As though her words had jinxed them, the ship began falling toward what Neku could only discern was another planet. Shiki screamed as her sense of balance was thrown off, and Beat held Rhyme closely, his protective nature overriding his fear. Neku found nothing to grab onto, and simply tumbled, crying out in shock as he slammed into the wall. Riku unbuckled his seatbelt and dove away from the control panel. "Guys! Get to the escape pod!"

Kairi rushed over to the door and yanked on it. There was a clicking sound as she struggled, and she grit her teeth. "I can't open it! The door's jammed!"

Leaping out of his own seat, Sora said not a single word, and dragged everyone into one closer. As the planet got closer and closer, he shut his eyes tightly and spread his arms outward, a shield of hexagons appearing just as an explosion rang out in Neku's ears.

* * *

I don't like this chapter very much...but eh.


	4. Of Chipmunks And Caverns

In which Sora gets in big trouble and we still don't know what's up with Rhyme.

As a minor warning to some of you, "Chasing the Truth" will be more Kingdom Hearts-centric than Playing For Keeps was. Just so you know. Neku and the gang will still play a _very _important role, however.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Three: Of Chipmunks and Caverns**

* * *

Cid rubbed his nose absently and didn't bother looking up from the computer screen in front of him. Tron was still running a few scans, and normally he would be in the Restoration Committee's headquarters, but he had some important business in the laboratory today. "Find anything, you two?"

Freya shook her head. "Yes. There is an extension of Ansem's computer beyond the Cavern of Remembrance. I believe that's what our enemy is after."

"Then it looks like our ambassador friend was right," the engineer grumbled, adding quietly, "As much as I hate to admit it."

"Do you know anything about that computer?" Zidane asked, tugging on one of his gloves. "I mean, you're the one that's lived here for so long…"

Cid shrugged. "Ansem's computer's right in front of me. The one in the Cavern of Remembrance is his, too, but it's a bit different in the way it works and what's on it. If that's what they're after, then we've got a big problem."

Nearby, a surprisingly high-pitched voice giggled. "I'm glad you saw my suspicions were right; that Cavern of Remembrance is truly a sight!"

"Oh, boy," Zidane whimpered quietly. "She's here."

"Mind yer manners in front of the ambassador," Cid admonished the genome before he turned to a petit woman whom was just walking out from around the corner. "Well, ma'am? Any theories?"

* * *

Neku pried his eyes open and saw the sky. That was it; the sky. In Shibuya, he'd also see buildings towering upward along with it, but there were no buildings this time. When he sat up, however, he realized that he _was_ in a civilized area, but without the skyscrapers. There were a few small booths that apparently served as shops, and no one seemed to pay him too much mind that he had passed out in the middle of the street. Neku was strongly reminded of the game, and rubbed his head, knowing he was somehow alive…the RG equivalent of alive, at any rate.

It took him a few moments to recall what had happened. He had been showing Sora and his friends around Shibuya when the monsters in white attacked. Sora had taken them into outer space to hide for a while until things calmed down, but they had run out of fuel and ended up crashing somewhere that obviously _wasn't_ Shibuya. _Since when did I become such a trouble magnet?_ He wondered, scowling at the clouds as though they had caused all of today's problems. _Or maybe _Sora's_ the magnet and I'm just caught in the middle of it…_

"He's awake!"

"Whew; I was gettin' worried."

The high-pitched voices caught Neku entirely off guard. He glanced around, searching for their source. "Who's there?" he asked in a half-mutter.

"Down here, silly!"

Neku blinked, slowly moving his gaze downward. There, waving at him, was a pair of chipmunks. "What the…"

The one with the red nose grinned and saluted. "Chip and Dale, at your service!"

"_You're_ Sora's mechanics?" Neku asked, flabbergasted.

The one with the black nose crossed his arms. "Actually, we work at Disney Castle, but we help Sora out whenever we can."

"But you're…chipmunks." And he immediately scolded himself. _Wow, Neku, way to be subtle…_

With the comment said, the two said chipmunks stared at Neku like he was crazy. "Of _course_ we're chipmunks!" The one with the red nose cried. "What rock have you been living under?"

The black-nosed chipmunk rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him. If you're looking for Sora, he and the others are just up those stairs waiting for you. We've gatta head off and fix up the _Excalibur_." With that, the two scurried off.

Dazed from the awkward encounter, Neku stood and stretched, rubbing his eyes and taking in the town around him. It was surprisingly small, though off in the distance he could make out some sort of castle. After making his way up a set of stairs, Neku found his friends from Shibuya as well as Riku waiting for them.

"You finally awake, man?" Beat asked, a limp Rhyme cradled in his arms. The girl was still awake and conscious, but Neku was sure at this point she couldn't walk on her own.

Neku nodded. "Yeah. Where are we?"

"Radiant Garden," Riku said simply. "The Restoration Committee lives here. We're lucky this place was so close, otherwise we'd be in a huge fix."

_The Restoration Committee,_ Neku echoed in his mind. _That means Leon and Yuffie must be here, if I remember right._

"Why's that?" Shiki asked.

Riku took a deep breath. "Long story short, anywhere else and we'd be stranded with no way to get help other than some very sporadic and _unreliable_ measures." He turned around, refusing to explain about the said measures. "Sora and Kairi went ahead to Merlin's to tell the others about your arrival. By now I'm pretty sure either Yuffie or Cid is chewing their heads off for bringing outsiders here."

"Like you were earlier?" Neku asked, his eyes narrowing. He still wasn't all too happy about being taken from Shibuya. Granted, he _did_ get away from those monsters, but it was hardly pleasing at all to know that he was on a different planet entirely. The sense of unfamiliarity was a bit much for him, although he had to admit he felt like he was actually breathing here thanks to the virtually nonexistent crowds.

Riku shook his head. "No. Yuffie is worse, and Cid has a bit of language that we're always getting onto him for using, not to mention a _very_ bad temper." He looked at Rhyme. "But we have more than one reason for being here, now. Let's go."

Though they were hesitant at first, the four of them followed Riku quietly past the marketplace and into a small residential area. All of the houses reminded Neku of the ones in the suburbs of the city, but these were all clumped together tightly rather than on their own blocks or yards. No one really appeared to be home in any of them either; if they were they hid it quite well.

After weaving their way past several houses, they found themselves in a large, open area, in front of which was a rather large home. As they neared, and even before they opened the door, Neku heard a voice screaming from inside.

"YOU DID _WHAT_?!"

Riku blinked. "Wow. Didn't know Leon was capable of that."

"We goin' in or what?" Beat asked urgently. "Rhyme needs help, yo."

Nodding, Riku pushed open the door. Inside, there were the familiar faces of Leon and Yuffie angrily confronting Sora, whom wasn't really returning the gesture other than insisting upon his reasons. "We had to, Leon! There were…"

"You've got to be breaking every rule in the book for doing this!" Yuffie screeched. "Do you have _any idea_ what the penalties could be?"

"There are penalties?" Kairi questioned.

"Well…no, but it's still _stupid_!"

"I wasn't going to sit there and let those Nobodies hurt everyone!" Sora protested. "They were after Neku, and I think I've got it on good authority that they'd go through anyone to get him! They wouldn't stop coming, either! Something huge is going on that we need to know about!"

Leon sighed, rubbing his head. "Look, Sora, I know you're concerned with Shibuya, but you _really_ need to think before you act. One day your recklessness is going to-"

"It already _did_, Leon," Sora said darkly. The man didn't protest. Neku didn't need the man to finish his previous admonishment to know what they were referring to.

Riku cleared his throat loudly, catching everyone's attention. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that Sora's aware of what he did."

Yuffie's jaw dropped. "Wha…you…they…"

"They're the ones from Shibuya," Riku explained, leading the group in. "Where's Aerith?"

Yuffie and Leon exchanged strange looks, almost having forgotten their previous dispute. Apparently this Aerith person was very important if someone asked for her outright. Neku wasn't sure what they were thinking, but when they looked back, Yuffie's voice was much softer than before. "Why do you need Aerith?"

Riku glanced back. "Beat, come on."

Slowly but confidently, Beat stepped forward, careful that Rhyme was still secure in his arms. Her eyelids were beginning to grow heavy, and Neku could see that her skin was beginning to pale. Yuffie strode over quietly, kneeling down. It took roughly two seconds for her face to stiffen with anxiety. "Leon, go get Aerith. I think she's in the Bailey. Hurry."

The man nodded, striding quickly out the door without a single word. Once he left, Yuffie stood. "Over here, Beat. Put her on the bed."

Biting his lip, Beat followed. Behind piles upon piles of books, there was an old twin bed in the corner near a closet where Rhyme was gently placed. "She ganna be okay?" Beat asked, watching his sister intently.

"Don't know," Yuffie replied truthfully. "Once Leon comes back with Aerith, we'll know what's going on."

"I just don't understand," Shiki began. "Those Dusk things popped up, and she started to feel bad-"

Yuffie spun on her. "Did you say 'Dusk'?"

"Wh…yeah. I did. Why?"

"White creatures? Moved all funny-like?"

"Yeah."

Yuffie's face fell to an expression of horror. "No way…I thought they wouldn't bother showing up after…"

"What were they?" Neku asked, leaning against the wall next to a complicated-looking diagram.

"Nobodies," Sora explained. "Remember Xsoh?"

Neku scoffed. "Of course I remember Xsoh. We both defeated him, remember?"

Sora nodded. "The Dusks are basically just like him, only they were originally weaker people at heart, so they didn't retain their original form." He looked away. "There's more than just Dusks, though. Like there's tons of different heartless, there are other types of Nobodies, too. With any luck we won't run into them here."

"Why not?" Shiki asked. "If we…leave here, won't we end up in the Game? We would have to play our way back, but-"

"There is no Game here," Sora said, his eyes hard to read. "If you go, you're gone for good." He looked away. "And if you don't, you become a heartless, and the shell of you that's left becomes a Nobody."

"Lose an ally, gain two enemies," Shiki summarized. "So that's why you were so intent on…"

Sora nodded, knowing what the fashion designer was about to finish her sentence with. "We can't afford to have any more enemies, whether they're strong people like Organization XIII or just minions like those Dusks." He looked at the ground. "I wanted to keep Shibuya safe, but by doing that, I dragged you guys into _this_…I'm sorry."

Neku bit his lip. Sora may have acted without thinking, but now he could see why he did something so rash. The keyblade master himself had suffered the fate of becoming heartless himself, and only with Kairi's help and plenty of luck did he manage to come back and reunite with his other half, Roxas. The look on Sora's face when he had first been told had said it all. _No one should go through that,_ Neku thought. _No one._

The door opened again, and Leon had returned. This time, Neku was greeted by another visitor: this one another woman. She wore a long, pink dress, and most of her brown hair was tied back in a purple ribbon. Emerald eyes glanced calmly around the room. "I'm here. You said you needed…Sora, who are these people?"

"We'll explain later," Yuffie said. "Aerith, I really hope you haven't lost your touch since the war."

"I haven't," the woman replied, her voice still calm. She hurriedly made her way over to where Rhyme had been placed, and knelt down. "What happened to her?"

"She's been like this for a while," Sora explained. "We were visiting Shibuya when some Dusks ambushed us, and suddenly she said she didn't feel well."

"I see," Aerith replied, examining Rhyme closely. "She's slowly losing consciousness. Can you tell me anything else?"

Shiki weaved her fingers together nervously. "I think she said something about losing focus?" She offered. "She kept talking about how she couldn't do something, and that something was wrong. It's only been getting worse. By the time we got here, she was really pale and she couldn't even stand up…"

Nodding and acknowledging Shiki's words, Aerith returned to her work, gently pushing a few strands of hair out of Rhyme's eyes. She checked the Rhyme's pulse and tried to discern a fever. After a moment of contemplation, Aerith sat back. "I don't think I've seen this before," she said. "There's absolutely nothing wrong."

Had Neku's jaw not still been attached to his head, it would have been on the floor. A similar reaction tore throughout the room, even to the official members of the committee. Beat, not surprisingly, was the first to react. "Whadoya mean, nothin's wrong?" he demanded. "She's practically in a half-coma, yo!"

"She's fine," Aerith repeated. "No serious problems, I mean. If anything, she may be just overwhelmed, but by what I'm not sure. It'll take a while for her to rest it off. Until then, I'm afraid nothing else can be done to cure her…only to help relieve some of whatever symptoms she's feeling."

"But she'll be okay, right?" Beat asked, a rare expression of deep concern on his face.

Aerith turned to Beat "You're her brother, correct?"

"Yeah."

"You should stay with her," Aerith advised. "It will help her recover more quickly to be near someone close to her."

Her words obviously baffled the skater, who rubbed his head but agreed. "Erm…okay. I won't leave her side, yo. Not for nothin'."

"In the meantime," Leon began, approaching the group. "Sora, Riku, there's someone I'd like you two to meet."

"Okay," Sora said, turning to his other friends. "Neku, you wanna come along?"

Neku shrugged. "I don't see why not. I don't have anything better to do at this point."

Shiki stepped forward. "I'll come too. I want to see more of this place."

"Be careful out there," Kairi said. "I want to help Aerith and Yuffie for now, so I'll stay here."

Leon nodded. "Right. Come on."

With one final glance back at Beat, whom only nodded a farewell, Neku exited behind Shiki, following after the others back outside to the borough. The silence lasted for some time, as Leon led the group of four up a small ramp and past an open gate to what appeared to be the Bailey mentioned before. Neku gawked at what he saw; half the area had been demolished entirely, and where there used to be a wall and possibly a roof had been blasted down by what could only have been an enormous explosion. The only words he could find were, "What happened here?"

"The war happened," Sora explained. At Neku's questioning look, he continued. "About a year ago, when I returned to this place, it was still called Hollow Bastion, there was a canyon so full of heartless it looked like there was a bunch of lava floating around in there." He shivered. "Black lava with hundreds of yellow eyes staring up at you…"

"They caused the explosion?" Shiki asked.

Sora nodded. "I think so."

"There were thousands of them," Leon added. "The whole committee fought them, and even with help we weren't sure we'd get them all. Sora ended up taking a good thousand or so on his own."

"I thought it'd never end," Sora moaned. "By the time it was over I thought I'd never have enough energy to lift the keyblade again."

"How'd you manage to get out of there, anyway?" Leon asked. "Last time I checked you ended up cornered and disappeared without a trace."

Riku and Sora exchanged glanced. "Knowing Sora," Riku suggested, "He probably had luck on his side."

Leon chuckled very slightly. "Sounds about right."

_Luck indeed, _Neku told himself.

"Watch your step," Leon advised as they rounded the corner and began taking the steps down.

"Who is it you wanted us to see, anyway?" Sora asked. "Did the committee get a new member or something?"

Leon shook his head. "Not really," he replied. "We got an ambassador from another world helping us out for a while, and there are two outsiders that have been helping around a bit. They don't seem interested in the reconstruction of this place, but they're still a big help in keeping the heartless population down."

"Where's Cid?" Riku asked. "He's usually typing at the computer in the headquarters, but I didn't see him there."

"Cid's in the lab right now running a few scans with Tron," Leon said. "The people I want you to meet are probably at the Castle Postern."

"Probably?" Riku echoed. "You mean you don't know?"

"If they haven't gotten impatient enough to go in without us," Leon amended, looking somewhat disgruntled and mumbling something about midgets.

The restoration site past the ruined Bailey was even more surprising to Neku. A winding path led upward, obviously having endured some great battle due to bits and chunks of rock and rubble scattered around, along with many pieces of building equipment. There was a fenced off area as well…rather, it _had_ been fenced off before it was blown down. The uphill ascent finally ended when they found themselves standing on a large brick platform surrounded by a low yellow railing with the blue stone wall on one side. Various pipes protruded from the building and from underneath the platform, spreading past the rails. One thing that caught Neku's attention, however, was a large, gaping hole in part of the wall.

"They here?" Sora asked. "I don't see anyone."

Leon cupped his hands to his mouth. "You guys around? Sora's here!"

"_Finally_! It was getting pretty stuffy in there."

From the gaping hole in the side of the wall leapt a young man whom could only be several years older than Sora. His outfit consisted of a pair of loose, baggy jeans, a pair of short boots, a blue vest, and a pair of cuffed gloves. After recovering from his jump, he pushed a clump of blonde hair out of the way of his eyes and waved his… Neku did a double take. _This guy has a _tail_?! First chipmunks, now monkeys…what next? Cat girls?_

Leon breathed a sigh of relief. "There you are, Zidane. Where are the others?"

The boy jabbed a thumb behind him. "Freya and the ambassador are already in the back waiting. They cleared out the heartless for us, but I wouldn't wait too long to see if they come back."

"Convenient," Riku commented. "They're in that cave, I'm guessing?"

Zidane nodded. "Yep. Come on; it's not that far." With that, he jumped back up into the cavern, leaving the others to follow. Sora and Riku had little trouble jumping, thought hey had to help Shiki and Neku climb in. Leon followed silently, resting his gunblade on his shoulder. Neku silently hoped that they wouldn't need it.

* * *

_The time nears. Must we awaken it so soon?_

_If we do not, then their plans will surely succeed, and the safety of the worlds will ultimately be at stake._

_And what of Sora? I _hate_ using him as a catalyst…_

_The King has enough on his hands, Riku is out of the question, and Kairi is a Princess of Heart. We have no other options. Besides, Sora is the only one with enough strength to withstand it without being destroyed._

_I guess we've got no alternative. I've been checking him every so often, but it isn't easy. The boy noticed earlier today._

_Procrastination won't help us at all. You must do it quickly. We can only hope, however, that he _passes_ the trial…_

* * *

GRAAAAH. I hate this chapter even more than the last! Eh, maybe someone's happy with it. It picks up after here, I promise. X.X!

Characters met in this chapter (Well, sort of):

Cid – _Final Fantasy VII_  
Leon – _Final Fantasy VIII_  
Yuffie – _Final Fantasy VII_  
Zidane – _Final Fantasy IX_


	5. The Cavern of Remembrance

In which we learn a little from our enemies and meet a woman with a thing for speaking in poetry. Oh, and the plot REALLY starts to begin. Or something.

All chapters up to this point had all been written while was down (Yeah, we all remember that...) But I didn't want to release them all at once. I really should update my other stories or I'll have rabid angry reviewers all over me X.X

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Four: The Cavern of Remembrance**

* * *

Beat wound up being stuffed in a chair across the room while Aerith tended to Rhyme. Yuffie, meanwhile, was going through several books, and Kairi stayed next to Beat to keep him the least bit company.

"Aerith said she's just overwhelmed," She reminded him. "We can't disturb her too much or she'll get worse instead of better."

"Can't I at least _talk_ to her?" Beat grumbled, doing his best to pull a façade over his worry. "She's my _sister_, yo. I'm never ganna forgive myself if she dies." _Again_, he added as a bitter afterthought.

"If I knew the problem more specifically," Aerith began as she stood, "Then I'd be able to treat it. Resting is the only thing that will help her at all right now."

Beat made a fist. "Can't you do _something_?" he demanded.

"There's no worse treatment than the _wrong_ treatment," Yuffie said from behind the book she was examining. "Aerith knows what she's doing, Beat. We'll probably know something by the time the others get back." She paused. "Where'd they head off to, anyway? Weren't they meeting someone?"

"The ambassador and the two newcomers," Aerith replied, rummaging in the cabinet for a few phials. "Leon mentioned something about a cave earlier, too."

"Do you think they finally found something in there?" Yuffie asked, looking up from her book.

Aerith nodded. "It's possible, but I hope not. The heartless in there are more powerful than even the ones we fought in the war, so whatever's hidden there must be more powerful than even _that_…"

* * *

After a while, Sora had a hard time believing that this area was only a cave. There were several pipes blowing steam here and there, actual doors rather than stone passageways, and in the back the place was practically a hallway of white stone, which they were currently making their way through. "What'd you say this place was called?" He asked.

"The Cavern of Remembrance," Zidane said. "I'm not sure _why_ it's called that. The ambassador told me that's what it was named, though."

Riku remained silent, intently examining the walls. "Doesn't this remind you of something?" he muttered to Sora.

Sora shrugged. "Kinda. I'm feeling a bit of déjà vu, now that you mention it."

Shiki hugged Mr. Mew close and Neku stayed by her side, ready to defend her out of what must have been habit. Sora winced inwardly when he remembered that even though Neku's actions indicated he was ready for a fight, he was completely defenseless unless he could throw a good punch. Psyches wouldn't work here, and though he had the heart for it, Neku was no keybearer. _I sure wish there was something I could do._

**Maybe there is.**

Sora nearly froze in is tracks, startled by the voice. _Wha…Roxas?_

**There **_**is**_** something you can do, Sora…**

_Like what? I can't just…_

"Here we go," Zidane announced suddenly, jolting Sora from his thoughts. "It's right past this door." And with that, he wasted no time pushing the said door open.

Beyond was an even more amazing sight than the so-called cavern itself. Sora felt like he had walked right into the Rising Falls again – a place he hadn't been to for ages. Situated in the room was a large white platform that the stairs in front of him descended to, in the center of which seemed to be a computer much akin to the one Sora had seen in the mansion basement in Twilight Town. "Whoa…"

"That's what we thought, too," Zidane said, chuckling. "Come on. They're waiting down by the computer."

The group walked down the stairs, their footsteps echoing louder than they probably should have. There, standing next to the computer, were two individuals. One of them was dressed in red, a long lance gripped in her hand. Underneath her pointed red hat, Sora could see a rodent-like muzzle; and a long, whip-like tail swished behind her. Her face was unreadable, and she regarded Sora with suspicion and respect. _She must be the ambassador that we heard about,_ Sora thought, turning his gaze to the other stranger.

The woman next to the red-clad stranger was…surprising. While she wasn't quite as short as Chip and Dale were, Sora was rather amazed at how petite this woman was. She only came up roughly three inches above his knees. She had long, pointed ears and blonde hair tied to the sides by large blue ribbons. The petite woman also wore a striped green robe and matching trousers, as well as a pair of what appeared to be clogs. _I wonder where she's from._

"You certainly took your time, Squall," The stranger in red said.

"It's Leon," Leon corrected her. "We had a slight emergency, but it's being taken care of."

"It's nice to meet you, lady ambassador," Shiki said, bowing politely to the taller of the strangers.

The woman in red stared blankly for a moment before returning the gesture. "It's wonderful to meet you too, young lady, but I'm afraid you are mistaken. _She_ is the ambassador, not me."

Riku, Sora, Neku and Shiki all gawked and stared blankly at the tiny woman crossing her arms at them. She sighed and shook her head. "My identity as ambassador must come as a surprise to those of you whom assume authority by size…"

"This is Lady Shantotto," Leon introduced, gesturing to the small woman, "And this is Freya." The woman in red nodded in compliance. "They, along with Zidane, have told us about a new threat we've been facing."

"A small group of criminals known as the Zoners has been tormenting Radiant Garden for the past few days," Freya explained. "They've often been seen here in the Cavern of Remembrance, but lately they have hardly shown themselves."

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves, here," Shantotto interrupted. "Would you mind introducing _these_ people to me, dear?"

Freya sighed. "Right. Of course."

Leon bowed politely. "My name is Leon," he said. "This is Sora, Riku, Neku, and Shiki."

"Neku, you say?" Shantotto echoed, approaching the boy by a few steps and looking him over. "Ah, our search is no more; you were just the one we were looking for."

All eyes turned to Neku, whom twitched nervously and put a hand on his headphones for a moment. "Me?" he echoed. "Why?"

"Now that you mention it," Zidane began, "Didn't you say something about some kid from Shibuya, Leon?"

Leon shrugged. "Just passing the message from Sora. He _did_ talk about him being…"

Sora nodded, knowing that Leon had referred to a small conversation he had had after sealing Shibuya's keyhole. During the battle with Minamimoto, he had improvised and tossed the keyblade to Neku. In any normal circumstance a tactic like that wouldn't work and he'd avoid it knowingly, but adrenalin had blocked off any common sense, and Neku ended up handling the keyblade without problems. Through that, Sora had begun to wonder if Neku had the heart of a keybearer himself. "Yeah. I did. He's been chased by those Dusks, too. Ring any bells?"

Shantotto crossed her arms. "Just as I thought. I knew at first sight that this Neku was the answer to our current plight."

"What does all this have to do with me?" Neku asked, puzzled. "I'm not even from here."

The woman quirked an eyebrow at him. Oddly enough, the gesture was enough to silence everyone into submission. "You're their number one target to capture, although, I believe you're all familiar with someone named Xsoh."

They remembered Xsoh, all right. The moment that he and Neku had defeated Minamimoto's heartless – and they weren't in the best of shape afterward – Xsoh had immediately launched his own attack, and it was only by the grace of Shibuya's music that they were able to survive. "How does Xsoh have a connection to all this?"

"He was a Zoner," Freya said. "But he must be gone now, judging by the way you put it."

"The Zoners want something to do with this computer," Zidane explained, gesturing to the mess of screens next to them. "It used to belong to Ansem, and that fact alone means that them getting a hold of it is bad news for everyone."

"We haven't been able to get in," Freya continued, "Which is probably a good thing. Cid's running a few scans with Tron to get an idea on what's in here without breaking through the firewall. The problem is that no one can even figure out how turn it on."

"Why not?" Riku asked. "Isn't there some sort of power button somewhere?"

"I'm sure that the honorable Ansem the Wise wouldn't give _anyone_ his data and thus spell out our demise," Shantotto pointed out.

Freya nodded. "She's right; that'd be too easy. There's probably some other hidden way to turn it on. In the meantime, the Zoners seem content with running around and causing trouble."

"Sounds like a job I'm going to get stuck with again," Sora sighed. "Do you know anything else about them?"

"Other than the fact that they're all Nobodies and that they seriously want something with this computer that will most likely bring chaos and destruction to the entire universe and beyond?" Zidane said, quirking an eyebrow. "Nothing whatsoever."

"Nobodies," Shiki echoed. "Those Dusk things are Nobodies, right?"

Riku nodded. "The most common type there is. Not really all that tough, but in a crowd they're no pushovers."

"We had a crowd of them on us alright," Neku commented. "And some guy was ordering them around. We couldn't see him."

"Bet you anything it was a Zoner," Zidane said, crossing his arms.

"Which means the Zoners are after Neku," Sora concluded. "But why?"

Shantotto rubbed her head. "We don't have all of the facts with us quite yet; for now, taking them down is our safety's best bet."

_Does she always talk in rhyme?_ Sora wondered, trying not to stare at Shantotto. Neku was already doing it for him, and he was doing quite a good job at it, too.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Riku said. "Let's head back to headquarters. This place is starting to make my head hurt."

Sora agreed wholeheartedly, and the group headed out the way they had come in. As they headed up the stairs, however, the keyblade master felt a pang of pain behind his eyes and he paused, bringing one hand up to his face to ease the pain. Neku hesitated, staring at him warily. "You okay, Sora?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

Neku didn't seem sure, but they headed on and followed the group anyway.

* * *

Hanekoma swore and nearly crushed his coffee cup into his fist. Neku had vanished without a trace; what's more he had taken his three friends and the other three players with him. Their escape wasn't the cause of his disgruntlement, however; it was the fact that nobodies had appeared in out in the open RG for everyone to see.

"They're specifically targeting Neku," Joshua stated. "Do you think I should have a mission sent out to eradicate them?"

"No," Hanekoma replied. "Those monsters were in the RG, Joshua. There haven't been any signs of them since everyone left, either."

Joshua smirked. "Clever boy, that Sora, taking their target and any potential hostages off of the planet entirely." He sat up in his chair and sipped at his cappuccino. "But what about that Rhyme girl? She didn't look very well to do when she left."

"She came in contact with something she didn't have," Hanekoma stated simply. "There was a very strong resonance there."

The composer's interest was caught. "Oh?"

"Long story short," Hanekoma began, "That resonance put her in a state of shock, and not just any. It'll take her a while to recover and adjust."

"I see," Joshua replied, sipping again before speaking. "Do you think that resonance could have been…?"

Hanekoma shrugged, standing and making some more coffee. "Maybe, maybe not. It's possible. After all, the keyblade is capable of a lot of things that aren't known yet. Mainly, it's the power in someone's heart given form, and power isn't always brute force. Sora may not be the hero the ones a decade ago were, but he's got about a strong heart as they had."

"Strong enough to…?" Joshua let his voice trail off again, his eyes lost in thought.

Knowing what Joshua was going to say, Hanekoma laughed. "Probably. After all, if he had enough imagination to call on The Music, I'm sure a little resonance is cakewalk for him."

Joshua smiled and returned to his cappuccino with nothing more to say on the subject.

* * *

The walk back to the headquarters was a silent one. Leon, Freya, Zidane and Shantotto split from them at the postern and headed for the lab in the castle, leaving Sora and Riku to take Neku and Shiki back to the headquarters. Neku was anxious, his worry for Rhyme returning. He was almost afraid to enter the door when they finally reached it.

Inside, Yuffie had stuffed her nose in a book while Beat and Kairi waited near a chair on the opposite side of the room. Aerith was currently tending to Rhyme, kneeling next to her bed with a small tray.

"We're back," Sora called softly. "Everything okay in here?"

"Rhyme's resting," Yuffie said. "She's fine so far."

Neku bit his lip and made his way closer to the bed to see what the woman was doing. She had a small bowl of steaming water in front of her, where she was currently squeezing out a wet rag. After pulling off Rhyme's beanie hat and setting it aside, she also moved a bit of the girl's hair aside and placed the folded rag on her forehead. As though noticing Neku behind her without turning around, Aerith spoke. "She was a little cold earlier," she explained. "I doubt whatever she's going through will harm her permanently or kill her, but I'm doing what I can to keep any symptoms down so that she'll stay comfortable."

"You can't treat her?" Shiki asked, weaving her fingers together in worry.

"Can't treat someone if you don't know what's wrong with them," Riku pointed out.

"What he said," Yuffie piped up without looking away from her book.

Sora walked forward shyly. "Did you try a cure spell?" He suggested. "It might help."

"She has no injuries," Aerith said, "Nor any loss of energy. It just looks like she's in shock or something similar, but I've never dealt with this before. I'm staring to think it's not even physical."

The keyblade master looked away, scowling. Neku knew it wasn't from anger; Sora wasn't the type to let that happen to him. It was helpessness. Neku himself had felt it from time to time. It was the hardest thing for anyone to feel, knowing that even if they could save a world, saving a single life could be so much harder to do. Even though Rhyme's life wasn't at stake, whatever was wrong with her was strongly bothering the keyblade master.

"Well?" Shiki began. "What now?"

Sora sighed. "We're going to have to find some more information on the Zoners. They're after Ansem's other computer, and I don't think they're going to use whatever's in there to help anyone but themselves. Plus, they're after Neku, too, and if they want him alive it can't be good."

Neku agreed with Sora. Wanting someone dead meant they were a threat to them. Wanting someone alive, on the other hand, meant they were of use to them, and he didn't quite feel like being used against his friends again. No, he didn't feel like being used again at _all_. The Reaper's Game was bad enough, for something this big to be targeting him…something where more than just Shibuya was at stake…

"Looks like we're on the job again, then," Riku said, smirking.

After a moment of contemplation, Neku stepped forward, hands clenched into fists and visage stern. "I'm coming with you," he said. "I want to know why the Zoners are after me."

"Are you nuts?" Yuffie exclaimed, slamming her book shut. "You don't even have a weapon!"

Neku crossed his arms indignantly. "Give me a sword and I'll learn," he replied. "I'm not a baby. I can fend for myself."

Kairi stood. "If Riku and Sora are going, I am too."

Yuffie sighed and rubbed her head. "Why do I get the feeling that this was set up beforehand?"

"Maybe it was," Sora blurted out before twisting his face from smugness to disappointment. "Stop it, Roxas."

"Well," Riku began, "Let's go. Chip and Dale should have the Excalibur finished up by now. If not, we can just borrow something else for a trip or two."

"And make sure we have enough fuel for this trip," Kairi added before turning to Neku. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Neku? I'm sorry we had to drag you away from Shibuya like this, but …"

Neku took a deep breath, clenching his fists. He wasn't all that happy with it, no; but he knew that there was a reason this had happened to him, and it wasn't a waste, either. Something had also happened to Rhyme, and Aerith was just the person to treat her. To add to that, Neku himself was an important piece in the newest puzzle Sora was stuck solving. Who exactly were the Zoners, why did they want this Ansem person's computer, and why were they after _him_? He swallowed. "I want to. I want answers."

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Yuffie commented, going right back to her book.

"I'm going, too," Shiki said. "I'm not going to sit here and let Neku go out on his own and get hurt again."

Knowing what the seamstress was referring to, Neku winced. "Shiki, this isn't like-"

"You aren't changing my mind," the girl replied sternly. "I'm going with you and that's that."

"Give it up, Neku," Riku said, grinning. "Looks like she's coming along whether you want her to or not."

Neku sighed. This was yet another time that someone had come along and refused to be left behind, and like those other times there was absolutely nothing he could do to convince them to do otherwise. "Shiki…"

Shiki put her hands on her hips. "What?"

He looked away, rubbing his arm absently and hoped his face wasn't red. "Don't screw up."

The seamstress smiled, hugging Mr. Mew closely. "I won't."

With one negotiation out of the way, Neku turned to his only other (conscious) friend in the room. "Beat, I know you can kick some ass if you have to. Take care of everyone here, got it?"

Beat finally looked up from his sister and gave Neku a friendly smirk. "No problem. I can handle anything, yo."

"We'll do everything we can for Rhyme," Aerith said. "Please be careful, Sora."

Sora nodded. "It'll be okay, Aerith. I'll check in every now and then with Cid."

"Speaking of which," Neku said, stepping forward. "You can reach Hanekoma, right?"

Aerith nodded. "Yes, we can."

Neku felt his heart leap with joy, and a smile rose up on his face. "Can you tell him we're safe?" He asked. "If it's not too much trouble, that is."

"Of course," the woman replied, smiling back. "Cid's the only one that knows how to work contacts, so I'll have him send the message the moment he gets back from the lab."

"Thanks," Neku said.

"We'll contact you if anything comes up," Yuffie said, waving cheerfully. "Whether it's Rhyme or anything else. Make sure you check in every now and then!"

"We will," Kairi replied. "You guys be careful, too."

"Good luck!"

With one final wave, Sora turned and headed out the door, with Neku, Shiki, Riku and Kairi following. The moment they stepped outside, Neku paused to stare at the sky for a moment. _It's still more open than the Shibuya sky,_ he thought. _It's kinda eerie, after living in the city all my life, but it's still really beautiful._

"It is, isn't it?"

Neku spun around. There, standing nearby, was a familiar ghostly figure. He blinked. "Roxas?"

The figure stared back at him, quirking an eyebrow. "Again? Why does everyone keep calling me Roxas? Yeesh, now I know how Sora must have felt…"

The music-loving teenager blinked, rubbing his eyes and examining the ghost more closely. He did indeed resemble Roxas, but there were some minor differences. For one, his outfit was changed rather slightly. His vest was half-white and half-black with the left sleeve covered by an elegantly shaped metal shoulder pad. His pants, though slightly smaller in size, remained relatively the same, and his tennis shoes were more armored boots than anything. The boy also looked slightly older overall, and there was a familiar aura glowing around him. Neku narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Who indeed?" the stranger teased, grinning. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you; I'm not a Zoner. I just wanted to see what you looked like, that's all."

"That's an odd reason to show up anywhere unannounced," Neku commented.

The stranger shrugged. "Why not? Where I'm from, you're the 'talk of the town,' you might say. I couldn't resist coming to see you in person."

"Neku, who are you talking to?"

Neku glanced at Sora and the others, who were staring at him strangely. He opened his mouth to explain, snapping his gaze back to the stranger…

…who wasn't there.

* * *

Aerith (_Final Fantasy VII_)  
Freya (_Final Fantasy IX_)  
Shantotto (_Final Fantasy XI; Dissidia Final Fantasy_)


	6. En Route To Adventure

Those of you that can find the FF12 quote in here win cookies. Also, STUFF HAPPENS.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Five: En Route To Adventure**

* * *

_Perfect! They're headed for just the place I can use._

_Really? Think you can pull it off there without interference?_

_Yes. It'll take a bit of manipulation on my part, but in the end I should be able to do it._

_I thought you said you hated using him like this._

_I do, but I know what'll come out of it. If Sora was right, then Neku is the answer to the problem with those Organization wannabes. All we need is the right setup so we're not interrupted…_

_Ah, I think I know where you're going with this._

_Right. Let's get to work._

* * *

The plan had been set. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Neku were to head out once they restocked on supplies in the marketplace. While Kairi headed off to look for medicines, Sora remembered that Neku couldn't quite defend himself and made for a weapon rack. Neku was staring at the merchandise with great interest as well as confusion ("How the hell does anyone fight with just a shield?").

"Sora," Riku began, elbowing his friend, "You forgot one important detail about this mission."

Sora glanced up from the sword he was examining. "What's that?"

"We don't know where we're supposed to start."

"Oh," the brunette replied, going right back to his browsing. "Maybe we could hit Twilight Town…see if Hayner or the others know anything."

"Twilight Town?" Shiki asked, momentarily glancing away from a few outfits she was looking at.

"It's a small city relatively close to the darkness," Kairi explained, examining what appeared to be a potion bottle. "Normally a place like that is dangerous, but Twilight Town is really safe. There's a portal there that leads to the Organization's castle, but…" She glanced up. "I don't know, Sora, is it still there?"

Sora shrugged, pulling a sword out of a rack and examining it closely. "I haven't checked since we defeated Xemnas."

"For everyone's sake, we'd better hope it's gone," Riku said, leaning against a wall.

After a few moments of contemplation, Sora pulled a sword out of the rack. It was rather simple: a brass handle and a moderately long shaft. He quirked an eyebrow at it and moved it up and down in his hands. Yep, lightweight. He tossed it at Neku. "Catch!"

Neku looked up just in time to catch the weapon in his hands. "What's this for?"

"If you're going to be coming with us," Sora explained, "You'll need a way to defend yourself. Who knows if those Nobodies will show up again?"

"Or the Zoners," Riku added.

"I know," Neku replied, "But…a sword? I've always used psyches."

"No psyches here, though," Shiki pointed out.

"You'll get the hang of it," Kairi reassured him, gathering another few potions in her basket. "Besides, you said so earlier that you'd learn."

"Easier said than done," Neku mumbled, staring at the sword skeptically but eventually shrugging in acceptance.

Riku stood, making his way over to Sora and Neku. "Once we finish up here, we'll be leaving for Twilight Town. If you want to take another look around, this'll be your last chance for a while."

Neku bit his lip and looked away. Sora winced, knowing what was going through the boy's head. Quietly, he walked over and put a hand on Neku's shoulder, causing the boy to look back at him. "It's Shibuya," Sora began, "Right?"

"My mom doesn't know where I am," Neku said. "And we left without notice. People are going to be searching everywhere. And then there are those monsters that were after me…" He shut his eyes, looking away again. "I want to go back, tell my mom I'm fine, but if I do those things, those…_nobodies_…" Neku sighed, walking away a few steps. "If I go along with you, will Shibuya be safe?"

Sora nodded uneasily. "I can't make any guarantees, but if these Zoner guys are behind what happened at Udagawa, then getting rid of them will clear up this mess. Plus, if they're aiming for you, then not being on Shibuya would keep it safe…at least until they're gone."

Hearing this, Neku clenched his fists. "Anyone who messes with Shibuya messes with _me_," he growled. "I'll rip my face off and never listen to music again before I let anyone hurt _my world_."

"That's the spirit," Sora cheered, before suddenly rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Although, I've never quite heard it _that_ way before."

"Sure sounds like you though, Neku," Shiki said with an odd smile.

"It works," Riku said, grinning. "I did the same thing, Sora…although, it wasn't for the islands, and it didn't exactly involve _removing_ my face."

Sora shuddered, remembering how Riku had endured becoming Xehanort's Heartless to keep him safe while he slept and recovered his memories. He swallowed. "Come on. Let's go pay for our stuff and get going."

After forking over several thousand munny for medicine and Neku's sword, the group headed into the Gummi Port. Unlike the one in Shibuya, the one in Hollow Bastion was enormous, even larger than the one in Disney Castle. Neku fell silent upon entry while Sora headed on up to the boarding balcony. "Chip! Dale! We're back!"

The chipmunks jumped up onto the rail, their aprons stained with soot and their hands in a salute. "Welcome back, Capt'n Sora!"

"He's not a captain," Chip corrected his companion.

"I'm still having a hard time believing these two are mechanics," Neku commented.

"They're _mechanics_?" Shiki asked, eyes wide in wonder. Sora had to repress a chuckle; his first reaction had been that, too, long ago when he was in Traverse Town.

"Well, you _could_ go and get Cid," Chip began, "But he's busy in the lab right now."

"Important stuff," Dale added.

"Yup, yup."

"Top priority."

"So, whacha need?"

"Is the _Excalibur_ fixed up yet?" Riku asked. "We need to head to Twilight Town."

Dale scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, y'see, she's got a few blocks missing, one of the engines is shorted out, the windshield is beyond all hope, some of the cannons are bent in half…"

"Out of commission?" Kairi asked, wincing.

"It'll take a week," Chip lamented. "We can get you a replacement, though. Any specifications?"

Sora crossed his arms, looking upward for a moment. "We need a five-seater. Something fast, but with enough firepower to keep enemy ships off our trail in case they decide to stalk us."

"And cargo room," Kairi added.

"And cargo room," Sora amended.

The chipmunks fell silent in thought for a moment before waving the group up the stairs. "We have an option for ya," Dale said slowly as he scampered up the railing. "There's a spare we usually keep for the others to use, but they'll be busy around here for a while so you can use it."

Sora grinned, following. "Sounds good to me."

"It won't be nearly as good as _Excalibur_ was," Chip informed them, "But until she's all fixed up again we can pull out a few spares we usually use when the Committee needs to get somewhere."

"But they're all in Cid's shop for repairs," Kairi stated. "What can you get us?"

Chip cleared his throat. "Well, the only thing we can get you right now is the _Falcon_."

"The _Falcon_?" Riku echoed, wincing. "All skiff; no ship…"

"She runs very smoothly," Dale insisted, "And, uh…she's all we've got for ya at the moment."

"It'll work for now," Sora stated. "Get us on board."

* * *

"He's a slippery one, that Sakuraba boy…why him, though? We could just use Sora…"

"That would have been an idea," the leader stated, "But Neku has precisely what we're looking for. It is only thanks to our late member Xsoh that we know about his power."

"Member? Don't you mean _puppet_? You _did_ just use him as some sort of twisted power gauge. Besides, the keyblade master wasn't even the one that finished him off. He did _himself_ in."

"Enough. Neku is our main focus and priority, but if he's going to be difficult we'll have to take other measures. Why not use many instead of just one?"

"Neku would be far more convenient for us to have. If it weren't for that blasted ambassador, we probably could have used-"

"It is of no importance now. We must find another way to bring him to us. He and the keybearers are undoubtedly searching for us. We'll just return the favor."

"Does that mean we'll be visiting them?"

"Of course it does," the shortest of the group said, crossing his arms. "After all, the rest of us should at least know what our opposition _looks_ like."

"That's just like you, Zarxilt. Trying to use the only eye you have left to its fullest before you lose it, too."

The short one rolled his eye. "We plenty enough to deal with without your accusations. Need I remind you of what our escapee did?"

"Well, he _would have_ been perfect if you had made him less accurate in the personality department."

The leader slammed his fist on his armrest loudly. "If I hear one more argument out of either of you I will personally see to it that you fall to the keyblade's rage. Now then, all of you prepare to leave at once, and when we get there, _none_ of you are to capture the boy unless I order otherwise."

"Why not? Isn't he vital to our plans?"

"He is. Taunt him if you wish, but don't bring him in _yet_. I would like to see what _he_ plans to do first…"

"Ah, yes. _Him_…"

* * *

Lift off was a lot smoother than when they left Shibuya, Neku noticed…probably because they hadn't been in such a hurry. The chair was also a lot more comfortable than the floor would ever be, and there was a strange satisfaction he got from watching the stars soar by. "How far away is Twilight Town?" he asked.

"Not all that far," Sora replied. "Enjoying the view, I guess?"

"It's amazing," Neku replied, barely hearing Sora's question. He had been too stunned to appreciate it before, but now that he could look without distractions, the sky was truly a beautiful sight. Countless stars dotted the black abyss, and every here and there were small clouds of color weaving their way through the universe. It was more like a painting than reality.

"Do you see this every time you go from world to world?" Shiki asked, just as amazed – if not more – than Neku.

Sora nodded. "Yep. I thought it was amazing when I first saw it, too."

"And each star you see is another world," Kairi explained. "It's incredible just looking at it."

"_All_ of those stars are other worlds?" Shiki repeated, gawking.

"Every last one," Sora replied, his voice suddenly sad. "When the heartless were still running around like before, the stars were blinking out one by one. The sky was just really empty compared to the way it is now."

"We're almost there," Kairi interrupted, pointing forward.

Neku leaned forward in his seat to see a bright, round shape approaching them. He couldn't make much of anything out just yet other than some slightly varying landscapes. "That's Twilight Town?" he asked. "It looks kinda…small."

"It's not quiet as big as Shibuya," Sora admitted. "A lot of worlds out there are pretty tiny, like Traverse Town, but places like the Pride Lands are huge."

"That's because you have a different perspective when you're in the Pride Lands," Riku pointed out vaguely.

Sora put on a rather effective pouting face. "_You_ weren't the one that had to fight the Groundshaker, Riku. You've got no room to talk."

"Groundshaker?" Neku asked. "What's that?"

"Remember the place where we fought Pi-Face and Xsoh?" Sora asked. When Neku nodded, Sora lifted an eyebrow in what was probably amusement. "Imagine a heartless that big."

Neku's eyes widened. "Geez! They can get that huge?"

Sora shuddered. "Hopefully not any bigger. Every step that thing took shoved me off balance…and it was way too fast for its size. I swear, that should be against the laws of physics."

Riku rolled his eyes playfully. "Sora, it's a Heartless. It doesn't _care_ about the laws of physics."

"Do Nobodies get that big?" Neku asked, swallowing nervously.

"Only one has," Sora replied. "It was slightly bigger than that Darkside we fought in Shibuya, and roughly twice as powerful."

"I don't remember one like that," Riku said. "You sure one exists? Or doesn't exist, in a Nobody's case…"

"Roxas fought it," Sora explained. The matter was dropped.

Kairi stood. "Landing time. Does Twilight Town have a port, Sora?"

Sora shook his head. "No. We always went into orbit. Only time I didn't was when I first woke up here."

Neku blinked. _Woke up? What, did someone kidnap him in his sleep? He sure talks about it casually…_

The keybearer flipped a few settings on the control panel and unbuckled his seatbelt, standing. "Ready to head on down, you two?"

Neku nodded quietly. "Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be at any rate."

"Same here," Shiki replied, keeping her stuffed animal close. In spite of her words, she was obviously nervous.

"Don't worry," Sora reassured him, flipping one last switch. "Twilight Town is really safe as long as you don't jump off the clock tower or anything."

In the back of the cockpit, a large, swirling portal similar to the one that Neku had seen in the alleyway appeared. He stared at it suspiciously. "We have to go through that?" He asked.

"You catch on pretty quick," Riku commented, heading into the swirling light without a word. He vanished in a quick flash.

Kairi approached, patting Shiki on the shoulder and smiling. "Just walk through and you'll be fine."

Neku took Shiki's hand, keeping her close as he strode through the portal. The relatively bright cockpit of the _Falcon_ vanished in a flash of bright white light, and as he stepped forward again he found himself in a large, open square nestled among numerous buildings. In the center of the square was a small booth-type shop like the ones in Radiant Garden, and a train ran along the tracks in town. On various billboards were fliers advertising sales, lost and found, something called Struggle, job offers, and a notice that the forest was off limits past curfew. The sky seemed trapped in perpetual sunset, something that Neku never really got to see much in Shibuya. At least not like _this_. It was amazing.

Sora appeared behind him, grinning. "Neku, Shiki, welcome to Twilight Town."

Upon hearing Sora, Neku finally understood how the town got its name. He did notice, however, one thing that was majorly different about this place from Radiant Garden and Shibuya. "It's really…um…"

"Quiet," Shiki finished.

Kairi nodded. "Every world is different," she explained. "Some more than others."

Sora nodded. "Some are jungles, some are deserts, and one of them is mostly wasteland. One of them is entirely underwater."

Neku blinked. "Underwater? How do you _breathe_?"

The keyblade master laughed. "That's a story for another time," he said, turning back to the scenery. "This is the Tram Common. Looks like I misfired our landing a little. I tried to get us in the train station."

"That's not 'a little,' Sora," Riku commented dryly. "The station is on the other side of town entirely."

"Hey, I _tried_!" Sora protested, fists clenched. "At least I didn't land us right off the edge of Yen Sid's tower!"

Neku ignored their small argument, staring at the sky. He could make out a few stars appearing, and the edge of the clouds had a slight orange tint. He couldn't help but smile; in all his life in Shibuya he'd never seen it.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

For a moment Neku was startled at the voice, expecting to see the ghost again. Standing nearby was none other than Roxas, a smile on his face and his eyes gazing upward. Neku nodded. "Yeah…I've never seen anything like this before."

"All Nobodies are born in Twilight Town," Roxas said quietly so that the others wouldn't overhear, though Shiki had and was making her way over. "Organization XIII kept a close eye on the place and recruited any of them that showed up. Their stronghold is near here." He paused, biting his lip. "A while ago, Sora had lost his memories, and was sleeping here to recover them. While that was happening, I was here in Twilight Town, trying not to get taken back to the Organization…"

"So you know the people here?" Shiki asked.

Roxas laughed bitterly. "I know them, but they don't know me. Not really." He grinned. "I'm still glad I got to meet them all, though. When I was finally back with Sora and he had to leave…" The nobody looked away sheepishly. "I couldn't help it. I got a bit overwhelmed because I thought I'd never see them again."

"But you did see them again," Shiki said, smiling warmly. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied. "Even though they didn't get to see me. I'm…kinda happy."

And then Roxas vanished without a word. Neku and Shiki blinked; normally when Roxas vanished there would be a blue glow surrounding him. _That's odd,_ the former proxy commented. _Maybe there's something wrong or…?_

"We should head to the Usual Spot first," Kairi stated. "Hayner and the others are probably wondering about us."

"Probably," Sora said, seeming a bit distracted.

Neku glanced at the key bearer; the brunette was staring at the sky, his eyes lost in thought. First Roxas, now Sora? _Weird. Why do I get the feeling that something fishy is going on here…?_ Conversation started up again, and he abandoned the issue. He could ask Sora later.

"Hayner?" Shiki asked.

Riku nodded. "Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Sora met them the first time he came here, but the last time he saw them was before he headed off to face off against the Organization."

"Which was roughly a year ago," Kairi added.

Neku whistled lowly. "No kidding. They probably think you're dead by now."

Kairi smiled. "I doubt it. Hey, Sora, you coming or not?"

Sora paused, staring at the sky for a moment. There was an oddly distant look in his eyes, like he was barely paying attention. Riku waved his hand in front of his friend's face. "Hellooooo? Earth to Sora?" When the boy didn't respond, Riku sighed and started pulling on his friend's ear. "Wake up! It's time to go to school!"

With a yelp, Sora jerked back into reality. "Wha?!"

"Nice to have you back in the land of the living," Neku commented, somewhat amused. _I wonder if he spaces out like this often._

Sora rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry…kinda got spacey there…what were we doing?"

"We were going to go meet up with Hayner and the gang," Kairi said. "You coming or not?"

The keyblade master furrowed his eyebrows. "Actually," he began, "Could you come with me, Neku? I want to show you something. Alone."

Riku blinked. "You feeling okay, Sora? The others are…"

"Yeah," the brunette replied, more slowly than normal. "Meet me at the station or something. I won't take long."

"If you say so," Riku replied, leaving with Shiki and Kairi in tow.

Once the group had left, Sora waved Neku to follow him. "This way."

Neku stared suspiciously. It wasn't like Sora to act like this. "What exactly are you going to show me?"

"It's in the forest," Sora replied. "You'll see."

There was a bad feeling in the pit of Neku's stomach, but he followed anyway. He knew he could trust Sora. They made their way past the square and toward the back of the small district, where there was a large chunk of wall missing. He stared blankly; hadn't anyone been bothered to repair it?

They ducked into the broken wall and entered a small wood on the other side. Neku noted that this must be the forest that the notice on the billboard must have referred to. The mass of leaves and limbs above blocked out what little sun there was, leaving not much light to navigate with. There was a thick blanket grass on the ground, sometimes interrupted by a large tree root. Sora stepped lightly about, his stance stiff and his eyes alert. Neku tilted his head curiously; what could possibly be out here?

They finally finished weaving their way through the trees and stepped out into a large courtyard, where Neku got his answer. There was a large stone wall with an closed iron gate in front of it, beyond which was an enormous mansion. Several broken pillars lined the way to the front door…not that they'd be heading there. The gate was locked. "What is this place?" Neku asked.

"The old mansion," Sora explained. "The locals think it's haunted. Before I had merged back with Roxas, he was in an alternate Twilight Town that you can get to from this mansion." He sighed. "It was a simulation more than anything. Everything he went through was fake. He hated it…he even hated _me_ for a while, because I was the reason he was there…" He fell silent.

Neku furrowed his eyebrows. "How could you be the reason anyone was sent in there?"

Sora still didn't respond. There was an eerie feeling in the air all of the sudden, and Neku knew something was wrong. He rubbed his arms, noticing that the temperature in the air was dropping, and Neku felt as though someone was watching him. He began to back away. "Sora…?"

"Finally. We're alone."

Neku's eyes widened considerably. He knew that voice. It was the same dual voice he had heard in his dream. He spun around to leave, only to find that he was repelled from the only exit by a force field. Scowling, he turned back around and took a battle-ready stance. "What the hell is going on?!"

Sora, or rather his body, turned around. Neku's mind screamed in recognition when he noticed that the boy's eyes were glowing the same pale blue as he had seen in his dream. "Neku Sakuraba."

"Get back!" Neku threatened, reaching for his sword. "I'm warning you, I'm not helpless…"

"I'm not your enemy," Sora said.

"Then let go of Sora!"

Sora's head shook regretfully. "I can't. I need a catalyst for this. I didn't want to use Sora, but he's the only one strong enough."

Neku's eyes narrowed, unconvinced that this…stranger was an ally. "What do you need to possess him for?" He demanded. "You say you're not my enemy, but are you his?"

"No. I'm just trying to help."

There was a sincere tone in the voice, and Neku knew he wasn't lying. He rested his hand and stood, still wary in case it was a trick. "Help? How?"

"The power that sleeps within you," Sora stated vaguely. He summoned Remembered Dream into his hand, pointing it directly at Neku. "It is time it became unlocked."

_The dream! The dream! Run! Get away! Anything could happen! Save yourself!_

It happened in slow motion. Neku began running forward, hoping to snap Sora from his daze by tackling him. Golden light gathered at the tip of the keyblade. Just as Neku began to leap forward, the light erupted into a narrow beam, striking Neku directly in the center of his chest. The former proxy was thrown backward. He choked, gagged, and gasped for air as his vision began fading. Sora finally jerked out of his trance and fell to his hands and knees, panting heavily. Neku expected to hit the ground just as his vision faded, but his senses began to play with his mind and perception of reality. The grass beneath his feet rippled like water, and he fell through the ground into an endless black abyss.

His body went numb.

* * *

Okay...this chapter is two percent better. But from here on out, things are going to get pretty chaotic for our favorite proxy.

May edit this chapter...iunno...hope you guys like it.


	7. Destati

HOKAY PEEPS LISTEN UP. This fic has kinda been stuck in the much-abused and never-looked-at "Game X-Overs" section until I can find out whether it belongs in the KH or TWEWY section more, and come up with a compliant summary.

Yes, writing Shantotto does require the use of a rhyme dictionary from time to time.

One of my reviewers just made me lose the game. You know who you are. XD

Um…(holds up a sign that says "Beware of Snake")

Okay, on to the chapter.

In which dreams are weird and someone is running.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Six: Destati**

* * *

A shadowy figure bit his lip and ran as quickly as he could manage. The dusks pursued him, but any that managed to get close to him was quickly disposed of with a bolt of lightning or a quick burst of flame. It was never much, and didn't always destroy his pursuers, but it did enough to buy him time.

He had to hurry. The Zoners were going to arrive at any minute, and he had to warn Sora…but would Sora trust him? Sora didn't even know him.

_Yet,_ he reminded himself. _We would have met eventually, anyway._

And the Neku boy…he was one especially worth warning. After all, if the Zoners got their hands on him, it would mean only destruction for more than just Shibuya and everything else the former proxy held dear. Unless…

_I can't waste any more time!_ The figure thought sternly as he shot a flurry of lightning bolts from his hand at the small group of dusks behind him. He jumped the wall and looked for another place to hide. _I have to warn them before they get here!_

* * *

The sudden wave of fatigue that Neku felt washed over as quickly as it came, only to return again…and then leave…and return…and leave again. When the process finally ended, leaving him rather dizzy, Neku found that he was floating peacefully in whatever realm he had been sent to. A sense of calm had wrapped around him, warm and comforting, but still somehow powerful. As eerie and strange as this place was, Neku felt at peace here, and yet somehow it even seemed familiar. He could just float there, sleeping forever if he wanted to, but something called out to him, waking him from his trance. Neku could barely drag his eyelids open to find out where he was, but he managed to do it.

He wasn't floating. He was _falling_. Slowly, gently, he was falling. The warmth wrapped tighter around him, shielding him from the icy cold darkness in the void he had somehow made his way into. If this was a dream, it was incredibly real.

Something deep in his heart seemed to move. It was a difficult feeling for him to lay a finger on. If he was able to move his hands freely and get past his exhaustion, he would have pressed a hand on his chest in surprise, but he was so tired…no, not tired. Calm. He just didn't _want_ to move. "What's…what's happening to me…?"

_The power that sleeps within you has begun to awaken._

The voice startled him. It was powerful like a king's, yet gentle like a mother's. Neku tried to place a finger on where it came from, but only came to one conclusion: he wasn't hearing it in his head; he was hearing it in his heart. "Power?" he echoed. "But I don't want any _power_…I just-"

_You seek to aid those you love, do you not?_

Neku couldn't help but agree. "I do…but how am I supposed to help them? I don't even know what's threatening them. I'm being chased by these Zoner people, and no one knows what's wrong with Rhyme. What should I do?"

_Power is not only something that one uses to fight with. In other forms, power can influence what one believes and thinks and accepts as right or wrong. You yourself have witnessed and used such a power before._

Of course he had. In the Reaper's Game, he had been able to read people's thoughts and imprint on them. The Conductor had imprinted his will on nearly the entire city. Hanekoma had bound Rhyme's soul to a pin and thus saved her. Neku's perception of power had become so twisted that he could hardly come up with an answer. "But what does this have to do with what's happening now?"

_The power that you hold is the key to saving your friends, including Rhyme. But to obtain it, you must first pass a test._

"A test?" Neku repeated. The voice didn't reply. "Wait! What do you mean by that? And what do you know about Rhyme? Do you know what's wrong with her?"

_Your trial begins._

Deciding that he wasn't going to get an answer, Neku resigned himself to asking questions later. He felt the warmth and comfort slither away and allow him upright, where he landed on solid ground. "This place actually has a floor?"

He stepped forward, his footstep echoing softly. When nothing happened, Neku looked directly upward, making out a tiny glimmer of light above. Or, perhaps, just far away. Was this some sort of dark realm or something? No…it couldn't be that. It was dark in here, sure, but it wasn't actual darkness…not the kind of darkness that the heartless would spew out while he fought them in the UG when Sora had partnered up with him months before. Neku breathed in, an effort meant to calm himself, but it only served to set him on edge more. There was a powerful force coursing around him that he could feel but couldn't see or hear. He looked in front of him, and oddly enough he could make out his hands and feet clearly. With nothing more to do, all alone in an empty realm, Neku returned his gaze upward.

_What is it you seek?_

"That's a really general question," Neku grumbled, crossing his arms. "Right now I just want answers. I wanna know why these Zoner guys are after me, and what's wrong with Rhyme."

_Answers?_

"That's what I said, wasn't it?"

_You could just as easily ignore your problems. After all, you did so before, did you not?_

Neku clenched his fists. "I'm not like that anymore. Ignoring the Zoners will hurt people that shouldn't be dragged into this, and I know that Beat's going through a rough time, seeing his sister sick like that. He may act tough, but we all know he's a big softie underneath all that." He turned downward, hoping to shield his angered expression by habit but knowing that whoever was speaking could still see him. "And if those nobodies were willing to cut through people to get to me, then I've got a serious bone to pick with them. No one messes with Shibuya without going through me."

_Then you wish to protect others?_

The statement made Neku think, and he couldn't help but agree. Anyone would want answers if they were being chased by a bunch of people that wanted to use him, but knowing why alone didn't mean anything unless you acted on it. Maybe protecting his friends from the Zoners was what he _really_ wanted…he just hadn't fully realized it. Even so, he knew one thing for certain. "No matter how hard anyone tries," Neku said, looking upward even though he knew the voice wasn't in that direction. "It's impossible to protect everyone. The only way to ultimately keep them safe is to get rid of danger in the first place."

_A wise answer._

There was a brilliant flash of light, and Neku had to shield his eyes for a moment. When he looked again, a large bronze door had appeared, reminding him strongly of the door he had once sensed in Dead God's Pad. It cracked open, and Neku winced as a brilliant light shone through it. "Whoever made this place had a thing for blinding people," he muttered.

_Enter._

"You don't waste words, do you?" Neku observed, but stepped forward anyway. For a while, he couldn't see anything, but when he felt the light recede he opened his eyes once more. What he saw shocked him.

He was standing right in front of the mural in Udagawa. Standing around him were the familiar faces of Beat, Rhyme, Joshua, and Shiki as she had appeared in the game with Eri's body. Neku's eyes widened, and he was about to speak when something held him back. These weren't the friends he knew.

_Correct. These are not your actual friends._

"What're you trying to pull?" Neku demanded. "What kind of twisted test is this?"

_Calm yourself. Your companions are alright. I simply want to ask you a few questions…_

Neku crossed his arms. "Like what?"

"Why do you hate me?" Joshua said suddenly. Neku whirled around to face the silver-haired boy and was startled at what he saw: Joshua's face was devoid of emotion and his voice was entirely monotone. Neku was suddenly longing for that disgusting smirk to come back to the boy's face; seeing him like this was far more disturbing.

"Joshua…?"

"Why do you hate me?" The boy repeated.

Neku sighed, looking away, his eyes narrowing in anger. "Because you killed me," he replied. "Anyone would hate the guy that killed them."

"But you came back to life, didn't you? I did that."

"Yeah," Neku replied, feeling his blood boil, "After you used me as a pawn in your stupid game. Besides, you're an infuriating, egotistical bowl of _snot_, Joshua. I swear you get some serious kick out of seeing me angry."

Joshua, or at least the twisted representation of him, did not respond. Neku took the break in conversation to sigh. "But you _did_ bring me back, and you changed your mind about Shibuya. I have to thank you for that at least."

"But you hate people."

This time, it was Shiki that spoke. Neku turned to see her acting no differently than Joshua: monotone and devoid of her normally upbeat personality. It was even more frightening than if she had been angry, as Neku was strongly reminded of when she had been possessed by the red skull pin. He swallowed. "Not anymore. I-"

"You tried to kill me once," Shiki continued, ignoring Neku's protest. "Why?"

It was a hard question for Neku to answer, but he did it anyway, shutting his eyes tightly. "I thought that it would get me out of having to be stuck with you," he said. "I couldn't stand you then, because I still hated people. I thought that it would get me out of the game and I'd go back to being whoever I had been before…but the only thing it would have done would to be to kill us both for good. I didn't know better then…"

"Then why was I your entry fee later?" Shiki demanded.

Neku opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't find the words. "Shiki, I…"

"Just like you, Phones. Can't come up with a straight answer when it comes to stuff like this."

Beat this time. He was just as blank as the other ones. "At least you used my nickname," Neku said with a nervous chuckle.

"We were a team," Beat continued, ignoring Neku's remark. "But when you first heard the suggestion, you turned us down. Rhyme and I could have helped you win much easier, but you said we were just extra baggage, didn't you?"

"I did," Neku replied. "I hated people then. But you still helped me, didn't you? Even if it was just for everyone's survival, you still helped me, and we even teamed up later."

"But you felt nothing when I was erased."

Neku didn't want to look. He knew that Rhyme was behind him, speaking to him, reminding him of that traumatizing day. There had been a mission with no time limit; it was deceptively easy. A trap had been laid…and Rhyme had shoved her brother out of the way just as it struck. It had been futile; by allowing herself to be erased in her brother's place, she had doomed him. Only by Hanekoma's hand had Beat remained alive and Rhyme had returned as a squirrel noise, later to be revived by Joshua, even though she had lost her entry fee permanently. She was still cheerful as ever when she came back, but hearing her now with that haunting, monotone voice…Neku couldn't stand it.

"You claimed that friends were unnecessary. They were only something that slowed you down."

He didn't answer. He couldn't even move. He didn't want to turn around and see Rhyme's face as blank as everyone else's; her emotionless voice was already harsh enough for him to endure. Neku grit his teeth and tried to bite back tears. It was too much for him.

"You cannot work up even the courage to look at me?"

"No," Neku replied truthfully. "I can't."

"Why not?"

Neku shut his eyes as tightly as he could, knowing that even though he hoped for it the image around him would not fade. "How I acted before was wrong. Shiki was right; I was no better than the Reapers."

"And?"

"I can't, Rhyme," Neku continued, even though he knew it wasn't Rhyme he was speaking to. "After everything I've done…"

_Everyone makes mistakes, Neku. It is only human._

"But it doesn't make it right!" The former proxy shouted. "I'm a different person now!"

_But nothing can change your past actions._

Neku sighed. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I can't make up for it."

_That's right._

With those words said, Neku felt some foreign power forcing him to turn around and face Rhyme against his will. Just before the light engulfed him again, he could see her face. With a wave of relief, he saw that it wasn't blank like the others'.

She was smiling.

* * *

Sora never thought he'd had a worse headache since the time he went searching around Wonderland for evidence to prove Alice's innocence. One moment he had been leading Neku to the mansion, the next he had been on his hands and knees gasping for breath. Looking up, he noticed that Remembered Dream had summoned itself into his hand. Startled, he looked up to find Neku lying face-first on the ground, unmoving.

Sora rushed over to his friend. "Neku! Neku, get up! You okay?"

There was no response. The boy was out cold. After placing a curative spell over the boy, Sora dismissed the keyblade and tried to shake him awake. There was no response. "Come on, Neku, please be okay…"

_**I'm pretty sure he's fine, Sora.**_

But the keyblade master narrowed his eyes. _How can we be sure? For all we know, I could have done this. Do you remember anything?_

_**No. I was cut off again.**_

_You were what?_

"Sora!"

The brunette looked up to see two familiar faces approaching. One of them was a familiar blonde-haired boy with a deceptively slim stature, a large struggle bat in one arm. The other was a somewhat stockier boy wearing a red Dog Street jersey, black hair held up by a large blue bandanna. Hayner and Pence. With a wave of relief, Sora called out to them. "Guys! Will you give me a hand? Something's wrong! He's not waking up!"

"Is he a friend of yours?" Pence asked. He knelt down, looking closely to find any injuries. Thankfully there weren't any, but the boy's breathing was somewhat hoarse.

"Yeah," Sora replied. "I was going to show him the mansion and…" he paused, trying to conjure up the memory without success. "It's really just a vague blur; I came to just a few seconds ago."

"What happened to him?" Hayner demanded, though not maliciously, as he lifted one of Neku's arms while Sora got the other. In spite of his thin frame, Hayner was actually quite strong

Sora shook his head. "I don't know. I passed out, and when I woke up he was just lying there. I don't think any Nobodies came or anything…"

Hayner bit his lip. "Come on. Let's get him out of here before something else does."

Knowing precisely what the boy was referring to, Sora left with them as quickly as he could. Unknown to him, a darkened figure was following closely, his eyes curious and alert.

* * *

The light had dimmed to a manageable level. Neku found himself on a large platform, this time alone. The platform itself was made of what was probably stained glass; with the image of what Neku could make out was a person. The image was hard to discern at such an angle as his, but he could tell that it was a silhouette-like image of what appeared to be a _very_ familiar girl. A chill ran down his spine when he saw a very familiar graffiti-like skull-and-crossbones symbol on the platform. "The same design on the player pins," he observed aloud. "What's…"

_Don't be afraid, Neku._

On cue, a pathway of stained glass appeared, each panel in its own small glimmer of light. More and more appeared, creating a slanted trail upward to another platform that he could see in the distance. Neku hesitated, only taking a few steps forward.

_Don't stop walking. Go._

"If I do, will I wake up from whatever dream this is I'm having?" Neku asked. When he didn't receive an answer, he shook his head and started forward.

The pathway was long, but Neku was used to walking long distances. After all, he had lived in Shibuya all his life. Going from Cat Street all the way back to Hachiko wasn't that big a deal for him. The only thing that made him wary was the fact that he was walking on what was probably glass, and his footsteps echoed loudly. That, and the place was just as eerie as the Shibuya River was.

The moment Neku made it to the top platform – which was very similar to the one before – he strode to the center. "I'm here. Now what?"

_Your final trial begins._

Streams of pale, black light swarmed onto the platform in front of Neku, converging into one large mass. Within moments the ribbons of darkness expelled revealing the familiar form of…

"Why am I looking at myself?" Neku wondered aloud.

"Why indeed," the former proxy's mirror image spat out, his eyes narrowed angrily.

Not sure if this was a trick, Neku decided to approach cautiously. "Who are you?"

"I'm something you were never able to conquer," the other Neku sneered. "Something you were never able to beat. I'm _you_."

Neku stared blankly. "What are you talking about? _I'm_ me! Not you! _You're_ just a figment of my imagination!"

The other Neku's eyes glowered in rage. "Liar!" He screamed. "Even if I'm not you, I'm still the same! Just like me, you hate people! You'd be better off without just an extra load to lug around!"

"No!" Neku shot back. "You're _not_ me! I'm a different person now!"

The imitation laughed humorlessly. "Heh, keep telling yourself that. Why don't you take a look at the monster you've been!"

With that, Neku saw his own self twist and writhe into a new shape. His entire body became black, rising and twisting into an inhuman form. Neku fell off his feet and stared as the shape grew larger and larger, longer and longer. Its neck flattened and a serpentine head hissed loudly at him, long fangs protruding its maw. Part of its body wrapped around the platform while more of it rested on it, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes glared at Neku menacingly.

Neku quickly recognized the creature as a giant cobra, and wasted no time in panicking. With terror in his heart, he spun on his heels and run. He had to get out of here, fast! Just go down the pathway and back onto that other platform and–

The ex-proxy stopped just short of the edge of the platform, waving his arms wildly to stop what would have been a fatal fall. The pathway was gone, and there was no turning back. He turned around just in time to see the cobra lashing out, and he dove out of the way just in time. At least he could still dodge like he had in the Game.

"Are you nuts?!" Neku screamed. "How am I supposed to fight this thing?!"

_Fight not with a weapon, Neku. Fight with your heart._

"With my heart?" He asked, diving out of the way as another attack shook the world around him. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

_Do not be afraid, Neku Sakuraba. Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all._

Neku narrowed his eyes. "Easy for you to say," he grumbled. "You're out _there_ and I'm down _here_, fighting a giant snake. Why don't you come down here and give me a better hint than that?!"

There was no time to comprehend what exactly happened next. The snake lunged, fangs bared, and Neku acted entirely on whatever instinct he had just gained. He caught the snake just as it would have struck him, one hand on its upper jaw and another hand on its lower. He trembled as the strength of the beast's mouth threatened to clamp closed, but Neku continued to push the jaws apart, sweat beading on his forehead. With a burst of strength, he shoved the snake's head to the side and dove away, causing the creature to crash into the floor. Part of the platform cracked and shattered downward, causing Neku to flinch and flee to the other side to prevent more damage. The snake shrieked, slithering away.

With the platform vacant, Neku bent down to catch his breath. He examined his hands. Luckily he hadn't caught on any of the monster's teeth, and he was unscathed for the most part; the only sign of the struggle he had was a small cut on the back of his right hand. He winced and wiped off some of the blood that had oozed out. "Did I win?" he asked no one in particular.

A menacing hiss answered him. Nervous, Neku glanced over the edge of the platform in time to see the great serpent spiraling upward. He had no time to run when the snake caught him in his tracks, coiling around him tightly and immobilizing his attempt to escape. As Neku struggled in its grip, the great cobra peered at him with hungry eyes.

This is it, he thought. Was he going to die here, in a dream he would never escape? Either squeezed to death or chomped on by a snake the size of the Shibuya River? Neku's eyes began to shut as all hope seemed lost…

_Your heart is the most powerful weapon of all._

He snapped awake. Now he knew what it meant. The memories raced through his mind.

"_I thought you couldn't afford to lose."_

"_You ain't my partner anymore, man. You're my friend."_

"_Promise me you'll come back!"_

"_Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world."_

"_I'm not backing down. Ever. I made a promise."_

"_We have something to fight for, and we're going to defend it with all we've got."_

The snake released its grip, shrieking and slithering back as a sourceless light exploded into existence. But the light did not end, and the serpent slowly evaporated away, scale by scale and bit by bit, and finally the slim remainder of the beast fell down off the platform and into the endless abyss. Now released from his enemy's grip and free of the menace altogether, Neku collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, not bothering to wonder about what had saved him. "And stay there," he wheezed.

_Well done, Neku Sakuraba. You pass._

Neku stood. "Glad to hear it," he mumbled, "Though I'm more glad that I'm still alive."

_Your journey has only begun. Keep your light burning strong, Neku._

The platform cracked further until there was not a single place left to flee. The glass shattered loudly, and Neku screamed in fright as he fell further into the dark abyss, this time head-first. The warmth from before wrapped around him tightly, easing him into a trance. His eyelids fluttered closed, and the last thing he remembered from that eerie place was the feeling of something within his heart stirring…


	8. The Zoners

Note: The black coat theory in this chapter is true. It's in a cutscene in Re:CoM if you don't believe me.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Seven: The Zoners**

* * *

It was a long walk back to the Usual Spot with an unconscious Neku to carry, but Sora did it without complaining. Neku wasn't quite in the state that Rhyme was, though he _had_ been knocked unconscious by _something_, he was still breathing and wasn't pale.

Entering the Usual Spot was a bit of an occasion. Riku had taken to leaning against the wall while Kairi, Shiki, and Olette had spread themselves out among the couch and chair. Upon seeing Sora, Pence and Hayner enter with an unconscious Neku, they stood immediately. "What happened?!" Riku demanded.

"We found them at the mansion," Pence said. "This guy was passed out when we got there."

Kairi and Shiki evacuated the couch and placed Neku on it. Hayner rolled his shoulder a bit. "He's a lot heavier than he looks," he muttered. "Sora, you sure you don't know what happened?"

Sora sighed. "I was going to show him the mansion when my head started to hurt. The rest of it is just a big blank."

"You mean you don't remember?" Kairi asked, concerned. When Sora shook her head, she sighed. "Well, at least you're all right. What about Neku?"

"He was out when I came to," Sora replied, "So I'm not sure what hit him…but I think he's okay. I don't think anyone attacked us."

"Who is he?" Olette asked.

Sora nearly slapped his own head. _Duh, we drag a stranger in and we haven't even introduced him yet._ "His name is Neku Sakuraba," he began. "I met him when I had to visit a place called Shibuya."

"So _he's_ Neku," the girl said. Shiki nodded, giving Sora a wave of relief; the seamstress had probably explained enough for him while he was gone. Awkward somehow, but convenient. At least be could skip introductions for once, even if all he ever did was say 'I'm Sora' and leave it at that most of the time.

There was a low groan and Neku finally opened his eyes. Sora let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled. "Morning, Neku."

Neku grumbled something about the time and sat up, staring at everyone in turn as though they would suddenly lash out and attack him. After a few moments of silence, he swiveled in his seat and moved his feet from the cushion to the floor. "What _was_ that…?"

"We found you passed out in front of the old mansion," Pence explained. "Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"…not really," Neku replied, seeming hesitant. "Sora was telling me about the place and then I just sort of passed out."

Riku didn't seem entirely convinced, but he remained silent. Shaking off a sudden feeling of premonition, Sora swallowed. "You feeling alright, Neku?"

Neku furrowed his eyebrows, then nodded. "Actually, I feel fine." He glanced around. "Who are these people?"

_Okay, maybe we didn't skip _all_ the introductions._ "These guys are Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They're some of the Twilight Town locals." Sora turned to the said locals. "Guys, this is Neku Sakuraba."

"We know," Hayner pointed out dryly. "You told us that when he was still unconscious."

Olette crossed her arms. "Hayner, he's _trying_ to be polite."

"Hang on," Pence interrupted. "Didn't we meet someone yesterday that was looking for Neku?"

Immediately the keybearers and Players were at attention. "Someone was looking for me?" Neku repeated.

Pence nodded eagerly. "Yeah. He was wearing a black coat, and he had some weird mask on his head."

"And he sure was in a hurry," Hayner added. "He said something about a cave and a computer. Last time we saw him he took off for the station."

"Think it was a Zoner?" Sora asked Riku.

The silver-haired boy shook his head. "Can't be sure. We haven't seen or heard from any Zoners since we heard about them, aside from Xsoh."

"Is something wrong?" Olette asked, concerned.

Sora took a deep breath, pondering how to explain this without spilling too many details that were better left unknown. "There's a group of people called Zoners controlling the nobodies nowadays," he stated. "They're after Neku for some reason, but we aren't sure why. They've also been causing a lot of trouble, so we're tracking them down to get rid of them." He crossed his arms. "The only problem is we weren't sure where to start. All we know for sure is that they're after a really powerful computer that used to belong to a well-known scientist."

"I'm guessing that if they get a hold of the data," Pence began, "Then it means bad news for all of us?"

"That would be an understatement," Riku commented, "But something like that, yeah."

"It doesn't explain why they want Neku," Kairi added, "But as far as we can tell so far, they don't even know how to turn it on."

"I wouldn't give them a chance to if I were you," Hayner said, taking a seat on top of a table. "If I were in your shoes I'd get rid of them all before they could even figure out how."

"That's the plan," Sora replied. "If one of them was seen around here, then we're on the right track."

"So let's go find him," Neku said. "If he's the guy that tried to mess with Shibuya, then I've got a serious bone to pick with him."

Shiki winced. "Don't be so reckless, Neku. We still hardly know who or what they are."

Neku crossed his arms. "Then we'll find out. Besides, if they want me alive, they wouldn't dare hurt me."

"Good point," Shiki sighed, "But they might knock you out and drag you wherever they want. It doesn't hurt to be careful."

"We'd better go check it out either way," Riku said sternly. "The fewer people hurt by these guys, the better."

Kairi and Shiki stood, heading out the door along with Riku and Sora. The brunette, however, paused and glanced back at Neku to wave him along when he caught the former proxy staring at something. When he looked closer, he could see what it was.

There was a cut across the back of his hand.

* * *

"Find anything, Cid?"

The engineer grumbled at his computer screen. "Not much, Leon. Apparently the data in that computer has something to do with Organization XIII. Other than that, Tron isn't picking up anything."

**The data is extremely complex,** Tron replied. **Even more so than the data on this computer alone.**

"So it _is_ a supercomputer," Leon concluded, crossing his arms. "If the Zoners find a way to turn it on, then we're toast."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Zidane replied, stepping in and looking rather pleased with himself.

Cid was somewhat frustrated at the sight of the monkey-boy, but didn't show it. "You again. Find anything?"

Zidane nodded. "Yep. It looks like the computer there is as functional as any other. It's not that they don't know how to turn it on; it's that they _can't_ turn it on."

"Why not?" Leon asked.

"Search me," Zidane replied, shrugging. "The Ambassador was taking another look around and that's basically the conclusion she came to. There was proably more; you know I'm not fluent in Shantotto-speak."

"Then I suggest you bring her to the headquarters," Cid said, standing up. "Tron, can ya keep scanning for me? And lemme know if you find anything."

**Certainly, Mr. Highwind.**

Cid nodded. "Right. Now, then, go get the ambassador and let's head to HQ pronto. If we can get a hold of Sora and the others, I'd like them to know what's goin' on."

* * *

The station plaza was rather empty compared to nearly everywhere else in Twilight Town. Neku saw no one near, but in spite of that fact he felt a chilling sensation around him, and remained on guard.

"A black coat means Organization XIII," Sora muttered, "But I wiped them out a while ago."

"But the king and Riku wore black coats once," Kairi pointed out. "Maybe it's something different."

"Why did they wear those black coats, anyway?" Shiki asked. "I mean, couldn't they be a bit more…I dunno, original?"

"The black cloak basically shields them from being devoured by darkness," Riku explained. "Even Nobodies can't rule the darkness. If someone is able to sense your presence, the cloaks can stop that, too."

Shiki hummed thoughtfully. "That's pretty useful."

"Where'd you hear that?" Sora asked.

Riku's expression stiffened a bit. "DiZ told me a long time ago when he gave me mine."

Neku furrowed his eyebrows in thought. If those coats had the ability to protect one from darkness or stop other nobodies from sensing them, then there was no doubt that the one wearing it was trying to shield himself from darkness…or maybe he was trying to hide himself from the Zoners. Neku couldn't be sure until he saw with his own eyes.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show himself."

All five of them stiffened at the sound. The voice was unfamiliar, and just as menacing. Sora clenched his fists. "Zoners," he hissed.

Riku drew his keyblade. "Show yourselves, you cowards!"

They did. First was a tall figure in a black cloak. And then another one, slightly more muscular but shorter. Another one, quite thin. And a fourth, whom could have only been a child.

"Black cloaks?" Neku commented. "Not earning points for originality, are we? Even if it _does _serve as protection..."

Remembered Dream flashed into existence in Sora's grip. "Now we finish this!"

"Don't get _too_ ahead of yourself, dear boy," Said the slimmest one. "You don't have nearly the power to take _us_ on."

"And look!" The shortest one said, pointing to Neku. "The proxy! Just what we were looking for!"

Neku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who're you calling a proxy?!" He demanded, pulling his sword out of his belt.

The tallest sighed. "Such a pity. Here I thought we could convince you…"

The shortest one laughed humorlessly. "Oh, come on. You know how stubborn Neku is."

"I'm right here, you idiots," Neku grumbled.

"Correct," the slimmest one said. "We are impolite. Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves to these brave young people?"

The most muscular nodded. "We should, indeed. We are the Zoners, a group of five only seeking to find a few lost friends of ours."

"Five?" Riku echoed, his keyblade still ready to strike. "Did you lose your ability to _count_ when you lost your hearts? I only see _four_ of you."

The shortest sighed. "Well, there _were_ five of us until you went and killed Xsoh. Not that he was all that helpful or anything. Just a little test of ours to see if Neku here was worth our trouble, and goodie for us, he is."

"You said you're looking for lost friends," Shiki began. "Who?"

"Other Nobodies, of course," the muscular one said. "Ones that were _going_ to get their hearts back."

Sora was obviously holding back a laugh. "Hate to break it to you, but Organization XIII is gone."

The muscular one crossed his arms. "Not as gone as you may perceive, boy."

The tallest took a few steps forward. "Now, Sakuraba, if you'll just come with us like we so kindly-"

"Don't!"

All eyes spun to another figure in black. Unlike the others, his stance wasn't confident. He seemed afraid, the way he kept his distance. He also wore a black cloak, his hood pulled down roughly with a bit of his face showing. Though Neku didn't know the boy, there was something strikingly familiar about not his appearance, but his voice…

The shortest of the Zoners scowled, backing away. "Traitorous little…"

It clicked in Neku's mind. This boy was the stranger that Pence had mentioned. He rested his sword. "Who-"

"If you go with them, they'll kill you!" The stranger insisted. "You can't believe them!"

"That's enough!" the short Zoner cried. "If you know what's good for you, then you'll-"

The tallest waved him down. "Zarxilt, that's enough. We're leaving." With that, he vanished in a swirl of black. The muscular one followed without a word.

The slimmest sighed. "Such a short meeting…I was hoping to perhaps do a bit of…enticement." And he vanished.

Zarxilt, the shortest of them, harrumphed and crossed his arms. "You may be lucky today, Neku, but don't get cocky." And he left.

Thankful that the area was now clear, Neku turned to the stranger that had intervened, only to find that he was gone as quickly as he came. He furrowed his eyebrows. _True hero style,_ he commented with a hint of humor. _He shows up to save the day and leaves faster than he arrived._

Keyblades vanished and arms crossed in contemplation. "Why are they after Organization XIII?" Sora wondered. "Every last one of them has been killed aside from Roxas."

"You took them all on yourself?" Shiki asked, eyes wide.

Riku shook his head. "No. Sora _did_ take on most of them, but I had my fair share of fighting the Organization. Axel turned traitor, killing a few other members and then sacrificing himself to help Sora into their stronghold. Roxas only survived because he called it quits and merged back with Sora."

"Axel was the only one Roxas ever liked," Sora said, biting his lip and looking away. "They were best friends."

"What now, though?" Kairi asked. "We're right back to where we started."

"But at least we know what they look like," Riku pointed out. "_And_ we not only know one of their names, but they've also got their own traitor."

"Speaking of which," Neku interrupted, "Don't you think that guy was kinda…familiar?"

Shiki crossed her arms. "I couldn't see most of his face, but I could have sworn I heard his voice somewhere before."

"Not the guy that attacked us at Udagawa," Sora said, narrowing his eyes in thought. "But if the Zoners wanted Neku alive, why would they kill him afterward?"

Neku rolled his eyes. "Knowing how things worked in the UG in Shibuya, they probably use what they've got for all it's worth and dispose of what they no longer need, people included."

Sora's face darkened with anger. "Like they tried to do to me," he muttered quietly. He had apparently not meant it to be heard, but Neku picked it up clearly.

"They're an odd group, though," Kairi said. "One of them had to be at least twelve or something."

"Don't let his age fool you."

_Will the surprises never end?_ Neku wondered as they turned around to once again find the 'traitor' from before standing behind them. He felt like throwing a round of Twenty Questions at the stranger, but instead decided to stand warily in case he was mistaken. "Can't you decide whether you're going to leave or stay?"

"Zarxilt may look like a kid," the traitor continued, ignoring Neku's comment, "But he's not, trust me. Even as a Somebody he looked like that, and he only kept up the kiddy act to trick everyone. He just keeps it up as a Nobody so his façade won't fall apart."

"Where is he now?" Riku demanded.

The traitor shrugged. "No clue. They're probably going to cause a little bit of mayhem and panic to lure you in, though, so it'll be easy enough for you to track them."

"You mean they're baiting us," Sora corrected.

"Whichever."

Kairi stood her ground. "Why are you telling us all this? Aren't you a Zoner, too?"

Scoffing, the traitor crossed his arms. "They're no friends of mine. They only wanted to use me the same way they want to use Neku. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly fond of being anyone's tool."

"Neither am I," Neku agreed.

"Hold it," Shiki interrupted, stepping forward. "Why are you helping us?"

"Who knows?" the traitor replied. "Maybe I'm just interested to see what you decide to do." And with that, he vanished without a trace, once again leaving Neku's questions unanswered.

* * *

_I thought you said you were to awaken him._

_I did. It doesn't _always_ happen right away. Even if it _did_ work, there's no guarantee it'll happen. There's always some sort of interference that could postpone it._

_But he passed the trial, didn't he? Surely that means he is ready._

_Just give it time. Sit back and enjoy the show, if you know what I mean._

_Don't you plan to step in eventually? If Neku proves to not be enough for what the Zoners are after, you know what their next target will be._

_I know._

_And there's the girl as well. Will she…?_

_She'll be fine. If all goes well, she'll be on her feet in no time. You're seeing to that, aren't you?_

_No. Aerith is doing a fine job looking after her, but the girl must recover on her own. I am, however, keeping an eye on her progress._

_What was it that made that happen to her, anyway? That Hanekoma guy said that she had 'come in contact with something she didn't possess.' What do you think it was?_

_You haven't figured it out yet? It's so simple…_

* * *

Shorter chapter...but eh. Character meeting time!

Characters met:

Hayner (_Kingdom Hearts II_)  
Pence (_Kingdom Hearts II_)  
Olette (_Kingdom Hearts II_)  
The Traitor (_Chasing The Truth/???_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	9. Warped

In which Rhyme is doing well, Zarxilt is a jerk, and Neku does _not_ like warp drive.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Eight: Warped**

* * *

Rhyme wasn't sure where she was. Every so often she'd open her eyes and see someone taking care of her like her mother would when she was ill, but she'd drift off just as quickly and she'd be in that white void again. It was endless, and all she did was float there, wondering where she was and how she got there. It didn't bother her all that much; she was more relaxed than anything…and exhausted, for some unknown reason.

But this time, things were different. She knew someone was watching her…someone other than the pretty lady with the brown hair. "Who's there…?"

_Don't worry. You're going to be okay._

"Huh…?"

_There was a strong resonance that you ran into earlier. You may not have felt it, but it sent you into a deep shock. Don't worry, though. You'll be fine after a little more rest._

The voice wasn't entirely familiar to Rhyme, but it reminded her of a mother's: concerned and calm. She knew that whoever this voice was, she could trust it. But all of this sleeping and not a single dream…just white. Unending white.

Rhyme knew why. Her brother had told her later after they were out of the Reaper's Game. Her entry fee had been her dreams, and since she had been erased at one point, that entry fee was gone forever and, according to Hanekoma, she should have lost her right to exist. But she didn't…she had come back.

It had been thanks to Joshua, she believed. Joshua wasn't a bad person…he was selfish and bratty, yes, but not evil. She never got a real chance to thank him. The only time she had was when she had been waiting eagerly for Neku and Sora to return from battling Minamimoto, and both had come back in bad shape. Once again, she had to thank Joshua for something…he had allowed her to use her psyches somehow, and there was an old cure pin she had saved that she used to heal Sora with when he had come back.

_You remember that well, don't you?_

If she had the energy to nod, she would have. "Yeah. Neku told me that they were both hurt pretty bad, but Sora had healed Neku instead of himself. Neku didn't tell me, but I think if I hadn't helped Sora that time…"

_You are not far from the truth. But you know you rescued Roxas as well as Sora._

"…yeah."

_And now, Sora is returning the favor._

"What…? But I…"

_You should sleep for now, Rhyme. You still haven't recovered._

"When can I…?"

_Don't worry. You will know when the time comes. For now, rest._

The voice faded but the presence remained. Rhyme drifted into the light once more, feeling oddly calm and at peace.

* * *

Sora gave a short gasp and flinched noticeably, placing a tight hand on his chest for a moment. He earned some very concerned looks from the other four currently in the cockpit with him, but it couldn't be helped. After a few seconds of his heart racing, he lowered his hand and pressed his back against his seat. "I'm okay."

"Sure hope so," Riku commented, returning to staring out the window. The ship was currently on a slow orbit around Twilight Town for the time being while they sent a message to the Restoration Committee, so all they could do was wait for a transmission back.

"Where are we going next?" Shiki asked. "Are there other cities out there?"

"None quite like Twilight Town," Kairi said. "Every world is different."

Sora nodded in agreement. "The Zoners may be able to block out their tracks, but other nobodies can't, so we'll probably go to where there's the largest amount of nobodies. Chances are, that'll be where all the trouble is." He gave a backward glance at the proxy. "By the way, Neku. Can you swim?"

Neku blinked in surprise. "Yeah, more or less. Why?"

"No reason."

The former proxy didn't seem to believe him, but Kairi interrupted any speculation Neku would have done. "Hey, guys! We're getting a transmission from Radiant Garden!"

His face lighting up with excitement, Sora flipped on the transmission. A large screen appeared in front of the windshield, and several familiar faces appeared: Leon, Yuffie, and Shantotto. Though he was rather disgruntled that Cid had not shown, Sora was delighted to see his friends all the same. "Hey guys!"

"Hey, Sora!" Yuffie cheerfully greeted him. "How was Twilight Town?"

"We ran into the Zoners," Riku said. "They didn't seem to want to stick around, though. Looks like they've got a traitor in their midst, too."

Sora swallowed hard. "How's…how's Rhyme?"

Yuffie's gleeful expression quickly faded. "She's woken up a few times, but Aerith said she never stayed awake for more than a few seconds. There's still a bit of recovery to do, but she's doing fine."

"Still asleep," Neku muttered. "How much longer…?"

"Beat won't leave her side," the young ninja continued. "The only time he voluntarily goes more than three feet from her is when Aerith needs to tend to her. He'll even sleep with his head on the bed and the rest of him in a chair or something."

Shiki gave a hint of a smile. "That's Beat for you."

"She _is_ doing well," Leon said. "No cold, no fever, and she's not as pale anymore. Aerith said that she'll be back to her old self again pretty soon."

Sora let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know."

"We picked up some information on the Zoners," Leon continued. "Namely, the computer they're after."

"Did you figure out how to turn it on?" Kairi asked.

Leon shook his head. "No. Cid says it's perfectly operational, but the thing is that they're incapable of working it for now.

Neku blinked. "Weird. What'd they do, forget to plug it in?"

Shantotto chose now to speak. "I doubt the matter would ever be that simple, my boy; that computer makes the one in the lab just a toy."

Leon nodded in agreement. "She's right. Turning it on is a lot more complicated, and it looks like they already know how to do that."

The tiny ambassador crossed her arms. "Even so, their plans are missing one vital force."

"What's that?" Shiki asked.

"What they're looking for now is a power source."

"A power source," Sora echoed. "So, if they can't get something to run that machine, then we won't have to worry about them being a threat?"

Hearing Sora's suggestion, the ambassador sighed, shaking her head in disdain. "I wouldn't be so sure, wielder of the key; you already know that they can control the nobodies."

Riku groaned. "There's that too, huh…but where do they intend to get that power source of theirs? I doubt it'll take electricity alone to start up that computer."

"And it _still_ doesn't explain why they're after Neku," Yuffie added. "Do they see him as a threat or something?"

"Probably," Neku replied, shrugging. "After all that mess I went through to keep Shibuya in one piece, I sure _hope _I'd be a threat to someone trying to run whatever machine that is."

Shantotto shook her head. "You're not quite a threat to them, Neku, you see; though when allied with _that_ fact I really must agree."

Neku sighed. "Good to know I'm of use then. As much as I hate to play hero, being worthless just doesn't rub well with me."

"We've seen a really high concentration of nobodies in Agrabah," Leon stated. "You might want to go check it out. It might be a Zoner's doing."

"We're on it," Sora replied. "Look after Rhyme, okay?"

Leon nodded. "We will. Take care of things, Sora." With that, the transmission ended.

Neku sighed and lean back in his chair. "Another world?" He asked.

Kairi nodded. "Agrabah's bigger than Twilight Town, though. Doesn't help that most of it is desert."

"Sand, sand and more sand," Riku added. "But there's some civilization there. A city, a palace…a few ruins." He counted off his fingers. "I miss anything?"

"The Cave of Wonders," Sora added with a shudder. After having fought the lion head to enter the cave, plus all of the traps within, he didn't particularly feel that the place could be easily forgotten.

"You've been there before?" Shiki asked, her voice full of wonder.

Kairi giggled. "Sora's been nearly _everywhere_. Haven't you?"

Sora grinned with pride. "A dying savannah, the bottom of the ocean, a huge jungle, a pirate ship…" he paused. "…twice. Plus I went to the world of the heartless…not sure that place still exists, though."

"It probably does," Riku said. "I doubt it's nearly as big as before, though."

"The heartless have their own world?" Neku wondered. "Does it have a keyhole?"

"No," Sora replied sternly, repressing a shudder. "Basically, that place was where bits and pieces of lost worlds would go and gather. The world was basically one giant heartless. I really don't want to have to go there again…"

"Are giant whales considered worlds?" Shiki asked.

Sora blinked. "Yeah. Why?"

"Because I can see one headed for us."

Riku glanced out the window to be sure, and his eyes widened. "Sora. Warp. Now."

Not a word was said as Sora rapidly jerked the _Falcon_ out of its orbiting state and sped out of the vicinity of the all-too-familiar Monstro. "Everyone buckle in!" He cried as the engines roared loudly. "We're going to warp out of here!"

Monstro was faster than the _Falcon_; that Sora knew. Just as the great whale would have clamped his jaws over the ship, however, the stars in the sky became long streaks and they sped out of harm's way. The force of the warp pressed Sora firmly to the back of his seat as the sky in front of him became a huge flash of white. Over the sound of the engines, he could hear Neku screaming something – he thought he heard a foul word at some point – and Shiki was just screaming incoherently.

After a little while, the ship slowed to a halt, and the group found themselves somewhere far away from Monstro. Neku spoke in between breaths, his expression a cross between pure anger and utter shock. "What…the hell…was that…supposed…to do?"

"It's called a warp," Riku explained. "The _Falcon_ isn't nearly as fast as Monstro, so we had to warp out of the area."

"We're not entirely sure how it works," Sora added. "I asked Cid about it and he went on forever…used a lot of big words…"

"Are we safe?" Shiki asked, also gasping for breath.

Kairi nodded. "We should be for now. Where'd you stop us at, Sora?"

Grinning, Sora pointed forward to a familiar-looking beige planet. "Looks like we're near Agrabah," he said. "You all ready to land?"

"I wouldn't chance Monstro coming back," Kairi said. "Don't you think leaving the ship unattended is a bad idea?"

Sora bit his lip. "Good point."

"I'll stay back and keep an eye out," Riku said. "You know how to reach me if anything happens."

"If you say so," Sora replied, reaching for the portal switch. "All right, everyone. Get ready to land."

* * *

_How's she doing?_

_She's got plenty of questions, but she's content with letting them go unanswered for now. What about Neku?_

_Still hasn't activated, given the fact that we last met only…oh, less than a few hours ago?_

_That's not funny._

_All I did was unlock it. It has to awaken on its own like usual._

_Like with Sora?_

_Yeah…but I kinda doubt it'll take a world vanishing before his very eyes to do the job._

_Of course not. The worlds are relatively safe. However, if he doesn't fully awaken soon, then things may get a bit…messy._

_Should I go in again?_

_No. We have no more need of you using Sora as such. However, a small push in the right direction could be of some help._

* * *

"Your outburst could have cost us our lives."

"What lives do we have to waste? We're Nobodies, Meyxours. We don't even _exist_."

"He has a point, although I'd rather not fade away before I have the chance to discern the boy's aptitudes. If it weren't for Xen-"

"We are not to mention his name. He is the Traitor, and no one else."

"Right. Of course."

"Aw, I _so_ wanted to play with them…"

"You'll have your chance, Zarxilt. Once we bring him to the cavern, we'll see if our suspicions are correct. If he is below par, or once we are done with him, you will get to play with him all you like."

Zarxilt grinned, summoning a small glimmering sphere of white energy in his hand. "I look forward to it …"

* * *

Nyahaha, another cliffie. And time to update the Zoners list.

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	10. Of Deserts and Monkeys

I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Atlantica. Pridelands. One? Both? Neither? I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this. Aside from those two, though, I'm hearing several people wanting me to bring back Monstro. I just might. I'm still sorting out which few worlds will make an appearance. One of them is already set in stone…mostly.

Quick note: Someone asked me about Zarxilt's name, and since I can't PM anonymous people I'll say it here (Skip this paragraph if you aren't interested or whatever!). I can't reveal it right away, but his name is an anagram of _what_ he is rather than _who_ he is. His actual name was too hard to scramble and stick an 'X' into. Remember Minamimoto? Yeah, it was kinda like that, only this guy has _one_ name instead of a first and last. (Useless trivia: I considered scrambling 'Pi-face' for Minamimoto's nobody name, but that didn't work either XD)

Anyway. On to the chapter. I'm totally spoiling you all with these niftily fast updates...

In which you _do not_ touch Neku's phones.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Nine: Of Deserts and Monkeys**

* * *

"Cid just called," Hanekoma said as Joshua entered the shop. "He said that Neku and the others are safe."

"But we already knew that," Joshua replied, heading behind the counter and fixing himself his usual cappuccino. "I assume Rhyme is still on the recovery?"

The graffiti artist nodded. "Yep, seems like it. She's doing better though, according to them."

Joshua gave his trademark smirk and headed to a table. "But you can never be certain," he said. "After all, that resonance was quite powerful, wasn't it? I heard it all the way from the river. It'd take a strong heart to get past it with only a short coma like she is."

"Rhyme is a special girl," Hanekoma stated. "When I bound her soul to the noise pin, I could tell that she had a pretty huge Imagination."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. Not quite as powerful as Neku's, of course, but still worth recognizing."

The composer leaned back in his chair. "Is that why her noise was so powerful?"

"Probably."

"But powerful noise normally come in the form of great beasts," Joshua calmly protested. "Rams, lions, dragons…but she was just a squirrel. Why is that?"

Hanekoma shrugged. "Can't know for sure. I think it may have something to do with her heart…"

* * *

Neku had expected a desert. He really did. After all, that was what he had been told what the place was. What he didn't expect, however, was to be dropped in a desert _city_.

There were several buildings and structures as well as some food stalls. Several people walked about freely, minding their business and paying no heed to them. Shiki had taken much interest in the peoples' clothes, as expected. "Looks like the place is safe to me," Neku commented, watching as his friend began browsing some turbans.

"You can never be sure," Sora replied. "Although, I'm sure there's one person who would know better than anyone."

"Who?" Neku asked.

Sora just grinned. "I'll take you to him. Kairi, Shiki, you guys ready to go?"

Kairi nodded, stepping forward, while Shiki reluctantly placed the turban she had been trying on back on the shelf where it had been before. Neku silently wondered how there could be a "high concentration of Nobodies" in a place like this unless the citizens he wove his way around were nobodies themselves. _Maybe they're all in hiding or something. Or they're just not in the city._

Neku felt a sudden breeze go by his neck. He blinked a bit, lifting his hand to grab his headphones, only to find that they weren't there. Spinning around, he looked just in time to see…

"Why are there _monkeys_ in the desert?" Shiki asked.

He paid no attention to her. "Hey! Get back here with my phones!"

And a chase ensued. If the citizens noticed, they hid it well. By the time the group finally caught up with the monkey, it had scampered up a long staircase into an old, abandoned building. Neku, his agility honed from the many times he had to run in the UG, kept up the pace without even breaking a sweat (though he _was_ beginning to feel the heat of the place…thank heavens he had worn a sleeveless shirt). Inside he found the monkey offering the pair of headphones to someone whom had to be at least a few years older than Sora: black hair, a simple violet vest and old, patched white pants, and a red fez hat. He also had a tanned complexion…not surprising, considering that he lived in a desert town.

"What do you have there, Abu?" the boy asked, taking the headphones and examining them carefully. "I've never seen this kind of thing before…you weren't stealing again, were you?"

Neku climbed in, not bothering to hide his presence, and crossed his arms. "Those belong to me," he said sternly. "Mind giving them back?"

The young man nodded. "Sure," he said, standing and handing them over before immediately scolding the monkey. "Abu, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The monkey sulked, his shoulders drooping. It was then that Neku noticed that it was wearing its own cap and vest. _This certainly is a strange place,_ he commented.

Behind him, Sora, Kairi and Shiki were climbing in right behind him. The stranger's face lit up. "Sora! I haven't seen you in ages!"

Sora nodded. "Good to see you too, Aladdin. Abu still giving everyone trouble?"

Aladdin, as the man was apparently named, sighed. "Yeah. He stole this kid's…um…" he scratched his head. "What are they called, anyway?"

"Headphones," Neku replied, securing them around his neck again. "And I'm not a kid. My name's Neku." He cast a glance back at Shiki, whom was giving Aladdin a disapproving look. He could understand why; for a fashion designer, to see someone wearing clothes like that had to give her some kind of irk.

Sora stepped forward. "He's with me," he said, beginning to gesture to the girls. "That's Kairi, and that's Shiki. Guys, this is Aladdin. He's an old friend of mine."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Kairi said, giving a slight curtsey. "Jasmine told me about you."

Aladdin grinned sheepishly and rubbed his head. "She did, huh…"

"You haven't seen anyone suspicious around here, have you?" Sora asked. "We're looking for some guys in black, or maybe some monsters."

"I've seen a few weird white things wandering around near the ruins," Aladdin said. "I don't know if I've seen anyone in black, but I know Jasmine mentioned something."

"Who's Jasmine?" Shiki asked.

"A princess," Kairi said, smiling.

Neku did a double-take, staring wide-eyed at Aladdin. "How could someone like…like _you_ know a _princess_?! I mean, no offense, but…"

"He sure does get around," Shiki added, grinning.

Aladdin's face turned red. "W-Well, we kinda…I had to…"

Sora waved Aladdin down, smiling. "A long time ago, an evil sorcerer named Jafar kidnapped Jasmine. Long story short, Aladdin got rid of Jafar, and, well…"

"I see where this is going," Neku replied, smugly smirking.

"At any rate," Aladdin said with a nervous chuckle, "We should at least go and see her if she knows something."

Sora nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's go."

* * *

Beat woke up with sleep in his eyes. He had slept next to Rhyme's bed that night with his seat in a chair and his head resting on the bed on top of his folded arms. Not that it was really night or anything, but he was just exhausted. Every so often, Aerith would have to leave and help with something other than his sister, so he'd be alone in that strange room.

Sometimes, usually while Aerith was tending to her, Rhyme would wake up for a good five seconds, give or take. She'd manage to mumble incoherently and then fall right back to her sleep…coma…trance…whatever the hell had happened to her. Yuffie was beginning to get concerned, so to humor her he went outside for a fresh breath of air every so often.

It was during one of those times that Beat finally had a chance to talk to Yuffie.

"Aerith's the best healer that Radiant Garden has ever, _ever_ known," she assured him. "Your sister's going to be fine."

"You call that fine?" He asked lowly. Normally he'd be in a shouting fit, screaming and throwing some form of violent tantrum, but he knew that this time there was nothing that would accomplish. These people were helping him, and even they didn't know what was going on. He barely had the energy to throw himself into a rage this time; he had spent it all watching over his sister intently, hoping for a sign that she would wake up soon.

The ninja placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She says that Rhyme is making progress, though. No more fevers or anything, and she's not as pale anymore. She may be starting to wake up."

The statement didn't offer him much comfort, but Beat nodded anyway, staring at the ground. "Anything I can help with? I can't stand just sitting around and watching anymore, yo."

Yuffie rubbed her head curiously. "Actually, Aerith really insists that you should stay close to Rhyme. She's starting to think that being close to someone that she cares about will probably make things easier for her."

For the first time in his life, Beat didn't question what someone older than him was saying. He quietly went back inside and made a beeline for Rhyme's bed. She had a bit of sweat on her forehead. Beat wiped it off with his hand, which he subsequently wiped off on his pants. He could wash it out later.

Unknown to Beat, the ghostly image of a woman floated behind him, caring eyes locked onto the pair.

* * *

Sora winced a bit when he saw the locals giving Aladdin dirty looks, but the thief ignored them quite easily. _He's probably used it,_ he sighed to himself. Of course, he knew that being used to something didn't make it easier to bear; it only meant that you could see it coming and could prepare to deal with it better.

The guards were even less friendly than the citizens. They pointed their swords at the group, sneering. "No one is allowed near the palace grounds!" the bulkiest of them stated. "Sultan's orders!"

"But we're here to see Jasmine!" Shiki insisted.

Sora shoved his face into his hand. No one had ever told him that the seamstress had a thing for being…straightforward.

The guard laughed. "You think you can just waltz in and see the princess just like-"

"Razul! Stand down!"

His expression changed _very_ quickly and the swords were lowered. "M-My apologies, princess…"

Jasmine, garbed in her usual jade attire, walked forward stiffly. "Do you not recognize the saviors of our city?"

"But princess, the boy is a street rat-"

"A street rat that you have to thank that you still live," Jasmine retorted. "And have you forgotten the face of the other already?"

It didn't take much negotiating to allow the five of them past the guards and into a more secluded area. It was highly different from the rest of the town: a paved ground, even a few plants growing. The palace was no different from before, although Sora did catch Neku and Shiki gawking at it.

Jasmine let out a breath of relief. "I'm sorry. We've been on alert ever since those white creatures begun attacking."

"That's actually what we're here about," Neku began, taking the words right from Sora's mouth.

"Oh?" Jasmine inquired. "You're a new face. Who is this, Sora?"

Sora smiled, gesturing to everyone in turn. "This is Neku, Shiki, and Kairi."

There was a spark of recognition in Jasmine's eyes. "Kairi, it's been ages."

Kairi nodded shyly. "It has, huh? Good to see you're doing alright."

"I should say the same," Jasmine replied, turning to the other visitors. "Neku, Shiki, are you friends of Sora's?"

"You could say that," Neku began, grinning sheepishly.

Shiki's eyes were still rather wide as she examined the princess from head to toe. Amused, Sora quirked an eyebrow at her. _What's she staring at?_

_**Neku said she's a seamstress. She probably wants to know about Jasmine's clothes.**_

_She does look kind of nice in them._

_**Oh really? Are you thinking of what I think you're thinking of?**_

_Shut up, you. It's not a crime to compliment someone.  
_

Sora was snapped out of his mental conversation with Roxas when Aladdin tapped him on the shoulder. "You awake in there, Sora?"

"Y-Yeah," Sora stuttered, clearing his throat. "We're actually here to ask if you've seen anything suspicious. White monsters, men in black cloaks. That's what we're looking for."

Jasmine's happy expression faded quickly. "The ruins have been haunted by strange white creatures lately," she replied. "There has also been a cloaked black man wandering about causing trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Neku asked. Sora could see his hands clenched into fists, and knew what was going through the former proxy's mind.

"Nothing life-threatening, thankfully," Jasmine said. "He's been causing lots of confusion, though, asking to know where someone is and making threats, but nothing's happened. He manages to disappear whenever the guards close in, though, so we can't catch him."

"Is there anything special about the ruins, Aladdin?" Sora asked. "Last time we were there we were kinda in a hurry, so I couldn't see…"

"Not that I know of," the street rat replied. "Now that I think about it, though, the place _did_ seem pretty suspicious."

Of course it had. When Sora had last gone there, that pesky bird Iago had been wrested into Jafar's control again and tricked them into going there. The place had been infested with heartless and only by riding on the magic carpet was it even navigable. To even get into where the supposed treasure once was, there had been a myriad of switches to press, and the place fell apart thanks to Iago letting a switch go. Perhaps there was still something there…something worth finding in the Zoner's minds, at least.

"Why not go see for ourselves?" Neku suggested. "You can never know for sure until you've seen it firsthand."

"Neku has a point," Jasmine said. "But it isn't entirely safe there. Maybe it'd be best if you-"

"Ah, this place _does_ so remind me of Dalmasca…"

Jasmine stood her ground as a man in black strode his way in. Sora grit his teeth, summoning the keyblade. Kairi did the same while Neku drew his sword.

_**This guy kinda reminds me of Xaldin for some reason.**_

_What makes you say that, Roxas?_

_**The way he looks, a bit of how he sounds…he just **_**does**_**.**_

The man continued. "The architecture isn't _quite_ to my liking, but this _is_ a lovely place, wouldn't you agree?"

"Naxeyv," Jasmine began, her voice trembling with anger. "I thought I told you to leave this place!"

"Why must you exhibit such antagonism?" the hooded man replied. "I'm only here for the boy."

Sora, Kairi and Shiki turned to Neku, whom tightened his grip on his sword. "Yeah, right. Like I'd go with you."

"Then perhaps you require some persuasion?" Naxeyv asked.

"Scram!" Sora shouted, whipping the keyblade into an offensive stance.

Naxeyv gave a mocking sigh of disdain. "I'll take that as a 'no.' Pity. It's not much to ask for someone to simply come with you for a moment."

"Yeah, right," Neku sneered. "I'm not about to go with anyone who's only ganna use me for what they want and then toss me away like some piece of garbage when they're done."

"So be it, then," Naxeyv replied with a sneer, snapping his fingers. On cue, in a swirl of empty white, appeared a group of five very familiar nobodies.

_Berserkers,_ Sora thought, recognizing the giant hammers anywhere. _Just great…_

The cloaked man crossed his arms. "I'll leave you to your fun. I have other matters to attend to anyway." And he vanished in a swirl of black, leaving them to deal with the Nobodies.

* * *

Okay. So. Another quick note, people. I'm in the midst of backing up my hard drive so we can like, WIPE THE COMPUTER SUPER CLEAN LIKE SO IT RUNS FASTER. That means I'm also backing up my fanfics and such. Once I finally head off to school - which should be in the summer or fall - I'll have my _own _computer, but school of course means slower updates. Fear not, I _will _finish this. Anyway...time for your regularly scheduled (sort of) character update!

Characters Met:

Abu (_Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin_)  
Aladdin (_Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin_)  
Jasmine (_Kingdom Hearts/Aladdin_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	11. Stolen Treasures

To answer a reviewer: No, that's not who Zarxilt is. ;) Zarxilt is the short one who looks like he's 12 years old. Gabranth is what, 40? XD (I kid of course, but no, Zarxilt is not Gabranth.)

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Ten: Stolen Treasures**

* * *

_Is _this_ your idea of a "push in the right direction"?!_

_Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one that did this; he showed up on his own. I'd never do anything _that_ rash._

_Well, we should at least hope that he awakens soon if that happens again. It's not like that sword is going to do him very much good._

_At least I didn't have to step in._

_It would have been safer if you had. Unlike those Nobodies, you're not trying to kill him._

_Either way, I'm not intervening. Sora's got it handled if anything happens._

_You sound confident._

_Yep. I do._

_What am I going to do with you…_

* * *

Neku hadn't a clue what these berserker things were, but he knew already that they were bad news. Shiki barely managed to jump out of the way of a large claymore, and Kairi was having her own problems. Keyblade Mistress she might have been, but her survival relied on her evasion; parrying was something Sora was much more adept at. _Ugh, if only I had my psyches…_

Aladdin, street rat or not, was a lot more agile than Neku had anticipated. He had no weapon of his own, but managed to outwit every attack thrown at him, turning it against his attacker. Kairi looked more as though she were dancing than fighting, the way she leapt about. Sora, on the other hand, was kicking butt just as he had in the UG, although he had an odd smirk on his face as he finished off one of the berserkers. Neku gulped nervously and tightened his grip on his sword. "One down…four to go."

_Keyblade…_

The voice hissed in Neku's ears. He clamped his headphones over them, but the sound only got louder. "What's…"

_Keyblade… Keyblade…_

"Quiet," Neku hissed. "Quiet, quiet, _quiet_!"

"Neku, look out!"

The boy snapped to his senses just in time to bring his sword up to parry a blow from an enormous claymore. The impact was incredibly strong; it sent him skidding a few feet and continued to press on him. The weight was beginning to crush him toward the ground, and he grit his teeth tightly. No amount of strength would save him…

_Keyblade…_

With a burst of strength, Neku managed to hurl himself to the side, leaving the claymore to crash into the ground. His sword skidded out of the way just in time. As Neku ran to pick it back up, however, he saw a claymore thundering toward him. He knew he couldn't dodge in time.

The giant gray mass of weapon slammed into him from the right, and then from the left. Neku screamed in pain and fell to his knees, almost certain that his ribs were broken in more than five places. Each. The claymore glowed brightly and lifted into the air, beginning to slam downward, only for its owner to be disposed of by a flash of thunder. The claymore clattered to the ground, masterless.

Relieved that he wasn't struck again, Neku looked up just in time to see Sora approaching and sending a wave of green to him, mending his shattered ribcage and easing the pain. "Thanks!" He shouted.

Sora nodded. "Catch!" He cried, hurling the keyblade his way. Neku barely managed to catch it through the sudden wave of déjà vu he suddenly experienced, and watched as Sora picked up the claymore, struggling with its weight for a moment before holding it at ready. The two nearby Berserkers were suddenly drawn in as by a magnet force, and Sora wasted no time in waving the claymore around as easily as he had waved the keyblade.

Deciding to ponder this later, Neku stood and threw himself into the fray where he saw Kairi having her own trouble with the last remaining enemy. Keyblade in hand, Neku felt its power flowing into him, and he gave a loud battle cry as he leapt into the air and thrust the end of the weapon downward into the berserker's relatively small skull, dragging it down past the neck and chest before the beast disappeared entirely.

The battle now over, Neku approached Sora and handed him the keyblade back again, the flow of power cutting off and nearly shocking him. "There a particular reason you did that?" he asked.

Sora jerked his head toward the sword lying on the ground. "Well, you dropped your weapon, and these things don't exactly go down with a few well-aimed punches."

Jasmine, whom had been hiding nearby, gave a long, relieved sigh. "That man has never gone this far," She said angrily. "Is he the one you're after?"

"Yep," Neku replied, helping a very stunned Shiki back onto her feet and pulling his headphones back down. "Those white things, too."

"But who _was _that guy?" Aladdin asked, rubbing his head. "I've heard a few rumors, but still…"

"He's Naxeyv, one of the Zoners."

Standing in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his hood not entirely concealing his young-looking face, was the Traitor. Neku narrowed his eyes, standing on guard and inching toward his fallen sword in case he needed it. "You again?"

"He came to get something from the ruins in the desert," the traitor said, ignoring Neku's demand. "But since he couldn't get _you_, he left."

"Where is he now?" Jasmine demanded calmly.

The Traitor sighed. "He's probably back with the rest of the Zoners by now, seeing as how he couldn't get everything he wanted here."

"And where would that be?" Shiki asked.

"Why should I tell you? It's way too dangerous there."

_I've had enough of this._ "Cut the crap!" Neku shouted. "Are you on our side or not?"

The Traitor looked away. "Keep your eyes peeled. Naxeyv might have left but there are probably a few more Nobodies wandering around." And with that he vanished.

* * *

Aerith's face was ridden with inner pain. "I think I finally understand… If I had known it was so severe, I would have…"

Beat was biting his lip so hard Yuffie was fairly sure it'd start bleeding soon. "You finally know what's wrong with her?" Leon asked, having entered several minutes ago.

"I think so," Aerith replied. "Her heart encountered an extremely strong resonance of some sort. Any normal person would have suffered tremendous pain before dying or becoming a heartless. Rhyme is extremely lucky to have avoided that; the only symptoms I've managed to diagnose are fatigue and of course her slight coma."

"So Rhyme isn't a normal person," Yuffie stated, rubbing her chin. "Does that mean she's a Princess…?"

Beat stared blankly in spite of the situation. "Whachu been smokin'? Rhyme ain't no princess!"

"Of course not," Leon replied. "There are seven, and we know all of their names. There can't be eight, otherwise…"

Aerith nodded, knowing how Leon was going to finish his sentence. "But Rhyme _is_ special somehow. We know that much. Otherwise she wouldn't have even survived a few seconds."

"So what's going on?" Yuffie asked.

"Her heart is recovering tremendously," Aerith said, "But without help, she may not be able to wake up properly, if at all."

"So what we do?" Beat asked. "I ain't ganna just stand around here, yo."

Aerith's face stiffened. "I may be able to make something to help wake her up," she said. "But I need something first…"

* * *

With the threat of Naxeyv and the nobodies out of the city, the group decided to investigate the ruins in the desert. Jasmine, meanwhile, had wished them luck and ordered every single guard in the palace to be on the lookout for the recent threats. Not everyone could fit on the carpet, so Aladdin stayed behind to keep an eye on the city.

Heading to the ruins was the easiest part, although it took Neku a while to grasp the concept that the carpet he was riding on was capable of flying and moving on its own, not because he was denying it but because he was stunned. Once on, the trip was relatively quick, and flying around the ruins was quite simple.

"No wonder they're called ruins," Shiki commented as they approached. "This place is falling apart."

"Actually it already did that," Sora replied with a humorless chuckle. _Thanks to Iago and his clumsiness._

"But this place is a pile of rubble," Neku pointed out. "How are we supposed to find anything?"

Sora pointed ahead as the carpet made its way over a crumbling archway. "There's a tower ahead. Anything that might be considered a treasure would probably be in there."

"But the Zoners aren't after treasure," Kairi pointed out.

"Maybe whatever's in there is a power source?" Shiki suggested.

"Could be."

After passing under an enormous gate, the group came upon a large area surrounded by walls of ever-flowing sand. Stationed in the center was a large tower, the bridge crumbling away from age. Sora squinted at it. _Can't quite make out the door…_ "Kairi, can you see the entrance from here?"

"I'm pretty sure it's open," She replied. "Let's have a look."

The carpet sped forward, dropping off the four at the entrance to the tower. The wall opposite of the entrance – as well as another next to it – had crumbled into rubble, blocking off whatever pathway that might have been there. Past the stairs was a large, open chamber, the once decorated walls faded and part of the ceiling having been smashed in, leaving chunks of rock scattered in its wake. The rest of the ceiling looked about ready to fall apart if anyone so much as breathed on it incorrectly. Up ahead was a small gray platform, in front of it a large stone mural that, like the rest of the structure, was crumbling.

"I don't see anything else here," Shiki said, crossing her arms. "Aside from rocks and sand."

Sora sighed. "Then he probably got what he came for."

"I think you're right," Neku replied. "Take a look at this."

Tucked away and nearly buried underneath a pile of sand was a small chest. It had been forced open by breaking the top, and among the dust on the satin interior was a clean, oval shape. "Looks like he got what he came for," Kairi said. "What do you think was in there, though?"

They were answered by a sudden outcry of muffled yelps. Spinning on the spot, Sora noticed a familiar form tucked away in the corner and hurried over. "Guys! Over here!"

There, tied up and with his beak gagged shut, was a very familiar red parrot. Shiki crossed her arms. "Why would someone want to tie up a bird?"

Sora didn't reply, and untied the parrot's beak first. "What happened here, Iago?" He asked.

"You'd hardly believe it!" Iago screeched. "Some guy in black waltzed in here like he owned the place! I was ganna go tell Jasmine when he tied me all up and left me in the corner!"

Neku's jaw dropped. "It _talks_?!"

"So that Naxeyv guy was here," Kairi said. "Iago, did you see what he did?"

The moment Sora untied Iago's wings, the bird stretched them and hovered in the air. "He found and old chest in the corner. I didn't think it was important or nothin' but he went and smashed it and took some rock from inside it. I don't remember what he called it, but he high-tailed it outta there once he had it. Oh, man, I'm in deep trouble…"

"That guy in black isn't here anymore, though," Sora said. "But why would a rock be so important?"

Iago did the bird equivalent of a shrug. "Well, it _was_ kind of shiny…"

"So it was a gem," Shiki concluded. "But why hide it out here in the ruins?"

"I don't know," Sora said, "But if the Zoners want it, it can't be good news." He turned around. "Iago, do you think you can head back to the palace and tell Jasmine about what happened here?"

"She'll eat me for thanksgiving dinner if she finds out!" Iago cried.

"The sooner she finds out," Neku pointed out, "The less trouble you'll be in. And you'd better hurry; who knows what that thing was that he found."

_**Something tells me we're better off not knowing.**_

_I couldn't agree with you more._

With nothing more to help with in Agrabah, the four vanished into the portal near the entrance of the chamber.

* * *

"The boy refused to come, I see."

"Yes. He was with the keybearer. I sensed something different about him this time…remember what I mentioned when we first met him?"

"Ah, yes…that power is getting stronger, whatever it is. He is undoubtedly much stronger than when he faced Xsoh."

"Who cares? Can't we just rope him in already? I want to see if my guess was right."

"If it wasn't before, it will be now. Those _fools_ have unlocked the power in Sakuraba's heart, which is good news for us."

"Unless he decides to use it against us, right?"

"That won't be happening. After all, we have our backup plan, don't we?"

"Ah, yes. The stone you found in Agrabah. You say it is like the ones on your world?"

"Quite. I believe it may be useful to us should the boy decide to attack, but it will only work on…certain powers, of course. I doubt the boy will be able to use such abilities."

"We can't be careless. That composer picked him for a reason, you know."

"The Organization could outdo that composer by far. That's why we need Neku."

"Of course. Where is he headed to next?"

"He's still in Agrabah, but I doubt his next stop will be far. Sora's trying to clean up our messes, so to speak. From what I gather, he came to Agrabah specifically because he knew there were a high number of Nobodies there."

"Ha! This is ganna be _way_ easier than we thought, isn't it?"

"Indeed…but there's also the matter with the girl."

"What about her? Haven't you managed to get near her?"

"I tried, but there's more than one person - or _heart_, rather - preventing me…"

* * *

Iffy chapter...next one will prolly be better :O

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	12. Contemplations

In which our next destination is decided...but not reached.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Eleven: Contemplations**

* * *

Zidane was about ready to rip his hair out. "Doesn't _anyone_ know how to work this stupid computer?!" he demanded.

"Ansem the Wise probably did," Freya replied calmly, "But he's long gone…"

"…and no one knows where he went to," Zidane continued with a sigh. "Yeah, I know."

For the first time in a while, Shantotto had nothing to say. She simply stared at the computer with an intent look on her face, and whenever a sound ever came from her it was either due to her footsteps or something that she was very, _very_ quietly muttering to herself. Zidane knew better than to bother her; he had several burn marks to remind himself with. Still, it wasn't like the Tarutaru woman to be so silent.

Whatever was in this computer, it had to be important to be locked away all the way in the deepest depths of the Cavern of Remembrance. Or, Zidane figured, immensely dangerous. He had met that type of situation before. He had suggested destroying the computer earlier, and thus taking away any plan the Zoners would have concocted, but the ambassador quickly admonished him for such an idea. It made sense; the computer probably held valuable data, destructive _or_ life-saving. They couldn't risk destroying something that could probably be worth protecting, even if it did mean stopping the Zoners.

Come to think of it… "What're those Zoners after, anyway?" Zidane asked. "Aside from the computer and Neku, are they _really_ a threat?"

"Anyone willing to harm others to get what they want is a foe," Shantotto said quietly, "Which is why whatever's in here isn't for folks like them to know."

"And not all their motives are clear yet," Freya added. "If we could just figure out what's on here, then we'll know if they are evil or simply misguided."

"That Sakuraba boy…" Shantotto muttered.

Zidane cocked an eyebrow. Shantotto had shown interest in Neku since she first met him. Perhaps it was something about her being a powerful mage that allowed her to discern what exactly it was about the boy that made him special, but she refused to tell them.

Freya crossed her arms. "Zidane, are you familiar with the Chasers?"

He blinked. That question certainly came from out of nowhere. "The Chasers? No, not entirely. Why do you ask?"

"They were a group of three key wielders," Freya explained. "Much of their history is lost, but some say that they were the very first. One of them, unfortunately, fell to darkness, but all of them met nearly the same fate in death."

"What does that have to do with any of this?" Zidane asked.

Shantotto uncrossed her arms. "Ventus."

Zidane tilted his head. "Ven…tus?" he echoed. "I've read about him…seen a few pictures, too. He was a Chaser?"

"He was the youngest," Freya said. "Don't you think he reminds you of someone?"

"Now that you mention it, I knew that déjà vu I felt wasn't just me…"

Unknown to them, a ghostly figure hovered behind them, arms crossed in amusement. With a quick flash of light blue, he vanished.

* * *

"Zarxilt."

"Oh, hey Jaxuk. Need help with something? Oh, right, I can just-"

"I'd rather you not do that."

"Oh, fine. Spit it out, then."

"Lord Meyxours has an assignment for you."

The boyish nobody took a small slip of paper from his taller, slimmer brethren and stared at it for a moment. "I get to play with him so quick? This is way too easy."

"Not exactly," Jaxuk replied. "We have suspected that Neku will be heading to wherever there is a high concentration of Nobodies. Therefore…"

Zarxilt grinned playfully. "Oh, I see where you're going with this. _You're_ off to go meet the kid while _I_ set up a surprise party somewhere else, right?"

"You're smarter than you look."

"You bet I am," Zarxilt replied. "I can buy all the time we need." As he turned and walked away, however, he sported a devilish grin.

* * *

_Is he ever going to wake up?_

_Relax, already. He's getting there._

_Getting there? He's moving slower than a Darkside._

_I'm not going to intervene again. At least not the way I had to with Sora._

_You mean…you're going to…?_

_Yep. What other choice is there? Aside from getting another catalyst, that is._

_Good point._

_How's Rhyme doing?_

_Her heart has nearly recovered entirely. Aerith knows that she won't wake up on her own, so she's going to request aid._

_Sounds about right. You going to make sure she's safe, then?_

_Yes…a few times one of the Zoners attempted to intrude, but they didn't get very far._

_What, you spook them or something?_

_Actually, no…my magic wasn't the only thing that helped. I think the boy did something as well._

_Who, Neku?_

_No…not Neku. The other one._

_But that's impossible! He…_

_I know. That's why I'm so curious…_

* * *

"The guy's name is Naxeyv, he stole a shiney rock from some ruins, the place reminds him of somewhere called Dalmasca, and…" Sora glanced upward. "Anything else we figured out?"

"That parrots are capable of intelligent speech and flying rugs can serve as a very effective mode of transportation?" Neku added wryly. _Honestly, every world we go to just gets weirder and weirder. Where else has Sora been?_

The group was orbiting around Agrabah on the _Falcon_ while their transmission to Radiant Garden was going through, filling in Riku on the details of their visit in the meantime. Shiki was dusting off Mr. Mew and mending one of his torn paws while conversing with them on the state of the desert city. "Whatever he did steal must have been pretty important," the seamstress said. "Otherwise he wouldn't have tied up that bird."

"Good point," Riku said. "But it still doesn't answer what the stone was, or why they still want Neku."

"Are we _ever_ going to get an answer to that?" Neku grumbled.

Sora shrugged. "Eventually," he replied. "Hopefully not at the last second."

"That traitor guy probably knows," Shiki suggested, finishing her business with Mr. Mew and tucking away her needle and thread. "We should ask him next time we see him."

"But we're not sure if we can trust him," Riku pointed out. "For all we know, he doesn't have a clue, either."

"_Highwind_ to _Falcon_, do you read?"

The screen flickered a bit and Sora opened the transmission fully. "We're here!"

Aerith and Yuffie appeared on screen, looking thoroughly worried. "Sorry we couldn't respond right away." the ninja said. "How was Agrabah?"

Sora shook his head. "No problem. We found one of the Zoners there."

"His name is Naxeyv," Kairi added. "He took a stone from the desert ruins, but we don't know what it is."

"It must've been important if _they_ wanted it," Yuffie grumbled, crossing her arms.

"That's what we think, too," Neku said. "How's Rhyme?"

Aerith bit her lip. "We finally found out what's wrong with her," She said.

Sora practically jumped out of his seat. "Really?!"

"Yes," Aerith replied. "While it's nothing fatal, it's still very serious. I'm still not sure how Rhyme was able to survive, but the only way she'll wake up physically is if I make something for her."

_Physically?_ Neku echoed in his mind. He had a bad feeling about this.

"How's Beat?" Shiki asked.

Yuffie glanced to the side before replying. "He's asleep," She said after a few moments. "He hardly ever goes two inches from her."

Neku smiled. Beat never allowed his sister to go too far from him, especially after the Game. It wasn't hard to picture the skater kneeling next to Rhyme's bed, half-slouched on it because he refused to sleep somewhere else.

"Anything we can do to help?" Kairi asked, concern etched on every inch of her face.

Aerith nodded. "Actually, we were going to contact you about that. Have you ever heard of shoalweed?"

Everyone exchanged glances before Riku replied. "Guess not. What is it?"

"It's a special type of kelp that Aerith needs for her remedy," Yuffie explained. "Right?"

"That's right," Aerith replied. "I would use red moko grass if I could since it's more potent, but that only grows in the Pride Lands now, and thanks to Scar I don't think anyone would find any even if they looked."

Neku saw a furious expression on Sora's face. Whoever this Scar guy was, he must've made Sora pretty mad to give him that kind of look. Neku clenched his fists and looked forward sternly. "Where can we find the shoalweed then?" he asked. "We'll get some for you."

"What about the Zoners?" Shiki interrupted. "I thought you wanted to know why they were hunting you."

"Rhyme needs help," Neku replied sternly. "And that's help we can give, right?"

Riku gave a loud sigh. "I can tell who you've been hanging out too much with," he mumbled.

Sora crossed his arms indignantly. "I'm sitting right here, Riku."

"I know."

Aerith chuckled. "Good to see you're in high spirits," she said. "Shoalweed is somewhat rare and only grows in very deep water."

Neku's hope deflated like a burst water balloon. "In other words it's impossible to get," he groaned. "Now what?"

"Not impossible," Sora replied. "I know a place we might be able to find it, but it's a little ways from here."

"Port Royal?" Kairi suggested.

Sora shook his head. "No, not there. The ocean there is a bit _too_ deep."

_That's an odd choice of words,_ Neku thought, quirking an eyebrow at Sora. _Just what is he planning? This stuff grows in deep water, doesn't it? So why not that port?_

"I have the other materials I need here at headquarters," Aerith said, "And the rest are probably scattered around in Ansem's Lab or in the stores. Shoalweed is the only ingredient I'm missing."

"No worries," Sora replied, an optimistic smile on his face. "We'll get some for you. Are there any nobody readings?"

Yuffie glanced away for a moment, and shook her head. "Nothing too severe, but keep your eyes peeled. They might show up anywhere at any-"

The transmission was cut short and the signal flickered off. Sora blinked. "That can't be right," he muttered, fumbling around with the control panel. "It's never cut off like that before."

"I think I know why," Riku replied, pointing out the window. "Does the phrase 'back for more' mean anything to you?"

Neku peered out the window to see an enormous blue…_shape_ staring back at them. It was moving closer at a very surprising speed. "What's that?" he asked.

"Monstro!" Kairi cried. "Sora! Get us out of here!"

Sora grunted in frustration. "Piece of junk…warp drive isn't responding!"

Riku spun in his seat and grabbed what looked suspiciously like a steering wheel. "Buckle up everyone! I'm going to see if I can shoot him off!"

"Are you insane?!" Sora cried.

There was a strong lurch and Neku, whom had only begun securing himself, was thrown out of his seat and tumbled to the back of the cockpit. Shiki held on tightly to Mr. Mew as the ship began to twist sideways, and Neku made a near-vain attempt to climb back to his seat. Several flashes of light accompanied more jolts, and a loud, low-pitched moan responded to several crashing sounds. "Direct hit!" Riku said victoriously.

"Don't count on it!" Sora replied. "Here he comes!"

The ship lurched dangerously, and Neku's skull slammed into the wall as his world went black.

* * *

I CAME.

I SAW.

I GOT EATEN BY MONSTRO.

And all I got was this lousy fanfiction.

Well, you guys wanted Monstro, and I decided putting him in would be amusing. This isn't one hundred percent how I planned him to come in...but it works, I guess. Never, EVER shoot Monstro. Even if he does feel it underneath all that blubber, he'll still see you as a snack.

And for those of you whom have figured out who each Zoner is (or at least have an idea), no OFFICIAL information will be given out due to story purposes. It would kinda be like Sora knowing Ansem's real identity before the King spills the beans. That sorta thing. So for those of you whom are racking your brains and are dying for me to tell you, I must inform you that my lips are sealed...for now.

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	13. The Belly Of The Beast

In which a soft landing isn't always the prettiest and Casper isn't the only friendly ghost around.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twelve: The Belly Of The Beast**

* * *

_Augh! I can't believe this!_

_Monstro, right? Nothing else gets you that upset._

_Well, duh. Stupid whale thinks he can eat any ship that comes his way. Isn't he ever going to learn to leave certain people alone?_

_I doubt it. If he wasn't as colossal as he was, he'd probably be a heartless or something similar._

_Okay, that's it. Intervention time._

_Have fun, you._

_Yeah, yeah. Keep an eye on Rhyme, okay?_

_I will._

* * *

Neku woke up laying flat on the ground…whatever ground that was. It was surprisingly soft, but it didn't do much to help his aching limbs. There was also an awful stench in whatever place he had ended up that reminded him a lot of the Shibuya River. Wrinkling his nose, Neku cracked open his eyes, his vision still blurry, and pushed himself up off the ground, cringing a little when the ground sunk a bit underneath his hands. The air was warm – almost _too_ warm – and rather humid. The walls were all a pale pink, with various white stripes coming down on either side. Pillars of wood debris littered an enormous flooded cavity, and in the back of the cavern a small sailing ship appeared to be intact. Overall, Neku wasn't sure he liked this place.

A familiar voice spoke. "Finally, you're awake," Riku observed, striding forward, his shoes making suspicious squishing noises with each step. He looked highly disgruntled.

"You talk like it's a bad thing," Neku replied, noticing the damaged _Falcon_ nearby, floating in the water. "Where are we? Did we make a crash landing again?"

Riku shook his head. "Worse. Monstro just swallowed us."

The statement caused Neku's train of thought to screech to a halt and his brain ceased all function for that moment. He took another look around. Those white stripes were ribs, that water was probably saliva, behind him was a set of teeth, and he was currently standing on… "What the _hell_?!"

"That's pretty much what Shiki said," Riku replied nonchalantly, as though Neku hadn't had anything near to an outburst. "You fell out of your seat and got knocked out just as he flew past. Sora tried to turn out of the way rather than just run for it but we ended up swallowed anyway and, well…" He glanced at the _Falcon_. "Getting out of here won't be nearly as easy as coming in."

Neku did his best not to let the nausea get a hold of him and kept talking. "Where are the others?" He asked.

"Sora went deeper in to look for something," Riku explained, standing. "Kairi and Shiki are on the boat up ahead. Once Sora comes back, we'll be leaving this place fast."

"No argument there," Neku replied. "So…how do we get across here?"

Riku gave a deep breath. "Unless you can jump twenty feet, there's only one route to take."

"What's that?"

* * *

Cid stared at the computer screen as though it was the cause of all his problems. "You gotta be kiddin' me," he grumbled. "The signal just cut off out of nowhere?"

"Yeah," Yuffie said. "Thankfully we had already told them what they needed to find, but still…"

"Well that can only mean one thing," Cid concluded, sitting back in his chair. "Monstro must've got 'em."

"Monstro…?"

"A giant whale that swims in space between worlds," Leon explained. "Geppetto was stuck there for a long time before Sora came along. Seems like he still hasn't learned his lesson."

A few blips emitted from the control panel and Cid spun back around. "Looks like he's got a few Nobodies to keep him company this time," the engineer stated. "Nothing huge, but if Sora and the others are there, we need to get 'em out."

"How?"

"Gummi Garage to Highwind! Do ya copy?"

"And that would be our answer," Cid stated. "Yeah, whadoya need?"

"The _Excalibur_ is all fixed up!" Chip's voice piped in over the speakers. "You guys know when Sora and the others will be coming back?"

"They're stuck in Monstro," Yuffie said. "Think you can go pick them up?"

"No problem," Dale replied. "Just send us Monstro's coordinates. We'll head on over and pick 'em up once we get a cloaking device installed."

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" Leon asked, rubbing his head in exasperation. "That would have saved us from this entire mess."

Chip groaned. "We only managed to perfect it just recently, okay? Sheesh…"

"We'll get right to work," Dale assured them. "It shouldn't take us more than fifteen minutes to get it in and we'll lift off right away."

"Be careful!" Yuffie called as the transmission shut off.

* * *

"I have never done anything so disgusting in my life."

"Just keep going. This place isn't that big."

"It's still gross."

"You wanna puke or you wanna get out of here?"

"Both, actually."

"Well, save it. We're almost there."

Thirty minutes and several gag reflexes later saw Neku dragging himself up a partially-submerged set of stairs and onto the deck of an old boat, where the familiar forms of Kairi and Shiki awaited them, sitting on an old bed. Shiki looked downright disgusted and was hugging Mr. Mew as close to herself as possible while Kairi, though upset in her own right, seemed calm in comparison. Upon Neku's arrival, Shiki's eyes swept to him. "You're okay!" She cried, her eyes lighting up in hope.

"And soaked," Neku added with a low grumble, his eyes still twitching. "You guys know if there's a bucket on this boat?"

"Just do it over the side if you have to," Riku said, rolling his eyes. "Sora's not back yet, I guess?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, not yet. He didn't tell us what he was looking for, so I can't be sure how long he'll be."

Riku shrugged. "The _Falcon_ took some damage, so maybe he's looking for something to fix it. If not then he's probably just looking for a way to upset Monstro enough so he'll spit us back out."

"Can we do that?" Shiki asked.

"He did last time," Kairi replied.

Neku swallowed nervously. "Should we go after him?"

"That might not be a good idea," Riku said. "Last time I was here, there were heartless swarming all over the place."

"There are heartless in the belly of a whale?" Shiki questioned. Neku flinched noticeably and edged toward the side of the boat.

Riku only shook his head. "Don't ask me how."

While the group rambled on, Neku did his best to keep his nausea under control, looking away just in time to see a familiar blue glow near a small, darkened passageway. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be in the shape of a person…a person he had seen before. _A ghost?_ Neku wondered. _It's the same one I saw at that Radiant Garden place._

As though reading his mind, the apparition waved him closer. Neku backed away a bit, hesitant. _He wants me to follow him?_ The ghost nodded, and Neku blinked a few times. _Okay…that's pretty weird._

"Something wrong, Neku?" Shiki asked.

Neku pointed to the cavern-like structure. "Back there. Don't you see him?"

"See who?" Riku asked, standing and looking in the same direction. "There's no one there."

Looking again, Neku realized that what Riku said was true. "That's weird," he grumbled. "He's not there anymore."

Kairi snickered quietly. "Are you sure you're not just seeing things?"

Neku crossed his arms. "Of course not. He was waving at me."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Probably nothing to be worried about. Sora will be back soon and he'll probably have a way to get us out of here."

"Well, I'm not waiting," Neku replied, jumping off of the side of the boat and onto the ground…or whatever he could call where he landed. "I'm going in."

"But it's a maze back there!" Kairi protested. "You could get lost or worse!"

"Kairi's right," Shiki said, standing. "Going back there alone might not be a good idea."

"Sora went in alone," Neku pointed out. "Besides, I have a sword. If anything tries to hurt me, I'll hurt it first."

Riku looked about ready to protest, but he instead shrugged and sat down on the deck. "Suit yourself," he said simply.

Kairi and Shiki were giving the silver-haired boy odd looks and frustrated remarks while Neku gave a satisfied grin and sprinted into the darkened area, suddenly finding himself in a very different-looking area. The pink interior suddenly turned deep violet with small colored spots dotting the walls (or whatever they were called). There was a strange, glowing doorway ahead, as well as one to the left atop a platform, over which was the ghost that Neku had seen before. With a grin, the ex-proxy turned to him. "I knew I wasn't seeing things!" He said.

The ghost grinned. "Of course you weren't," he replied. "So, I take it you've been doing alright?"

Neku nodded. "Yeah, unless you count this stupid whale."

"Oh, I know what you mean," the ghost replied, rolling his eyes. "Monstro can't tell the difference between a gummi and a guppy; that's why he attacks ships."

"You know this place well, then," Neku observed. "You've been here before?"

The ghost shrugged. "You could say that. Sora and Riku have been here before too, although I have to admit it wasn't exactly under very good circumstances…" He chuckled. "Then again, it hardly ever is."

Neku quirked an eyebrow. "But why are you here again? You sound like you really don't like it here."

"You'd have to be loonier than Merlin to _like_ this place," The ghost remarked before whispering, "But don't tell him I told you that."

"My lips are sealed," Neku assured him. _Whoever Merlin is._

Nodding approvingly, the ghost crossed his arms and leaned back a bit. "Well, I normally wouldn't even go near Monstro, but I figured you'd need a bit of help. I've been watching you for a pretty long time, see, ever since before you left Shibuya."

_So he knows about my home,_ Neku thought. _Just who or _what_ is this guy?_

"I'm still pretty surprised you managed to make it this far without at least a bit of magic," the ghost continued. "If you don't have a good enough weapon, then magic is pretty much the only way to go. When Sora had to trade his keyblade for an old toy sword, that's how he survived. 'course, he had a bit of help before he could use the keyblade again, but it was still rough on him."

"You sure know a lot about Sora," Neku said. "Are you sure you're not Roxas?"

The ghost shook his head. "No, I'm not Roxas. I only know so much about Sora because…" he hesitated, biting his lip. "Well, it's a long and complicated story and I'd rather not go into it."

Neku stared at the ground. "Oh…Sorry."

"It's fine," The ghost replied, waving it off. "But like I was saying, you really surprise me. How'd you get this far without at least knowing how to toss a fireball or two?"

"I have a sword!" Neku protested, holding up the said weapon.

The ghost stared at the sword and chuckled. "You mean that clumsy stick of metal? Man, I don't know how anyone could handle that thing. Compared to a keyblade, it's so heavy and hard to use. You might as well be lugging around Monstro himself."

He was right. Neku had noticed that in the battle against the berserker nobodies, the keyblade had been much easier for him to handle…but was it by the grace of that magical weapon that he could wield it or was it something else? He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Well, Sora's the one with the keyblade, and he's got magic, too." _Even though I've only seen him use it once or twice._ "It's not like I've got anything else to fight with."

"'course you do!" The ghost assured him. "You're just not completely awakened yet."

Neku blinked. "Awakened…?"

"Yeah. Everyone's got an untapped power in them. Not everyone gets the chance to draw it out, though, and even fewer people are chosen by the keyblade." The ghost pointed to Neku. "And I'm pretty sure you've had a really strange dream recently? One involving monsters, maybe?"

_Okay, he knows _way_ too much._ Neku began to back away, but found his feet rooted to the spot. "You…you know about that?"

The ghost nodded. "Yep, sure do. Dreams like that usually come a bit before your power is unlocked, but for it to wake up is a totally different matter altogether. It took Sora a few days or so. His case was kinda complicated though, and I won't go there. I'm just here to help _you_ out."

"Me?" Neku questioned, pointing to himself curiously. "What's so special about _me_?"

"Well, let's see," the ghost began, counting on his fingers. "You were hand-picked as a proxy in the reaper's game to determine your world's fate, saved the said world twice, have enough imagination to be on-par with the game's composer, and you've got the heart of a key bearer to boot…or do you remember that last part?"

Neku's eyes widened. "The heart of a key bearer…" he echoed. "Sora said that…after sealing the keyhole in Shibuya. Is _that_ why the Zoners are after me?"

The ghost shrugged. "That's one thing I don't know. If you ask me, Neku, you'd better not try to find out the hard way."

"You know my name, too," Neku pointed out, not seeming surprised. _If he's been watching me for so long, it's only natural he knows who I am._ "What about you? What's your name?"

The ghost hesitated, looking highly unsure. "Well…that's kind of a touchy subject for me."

Neku grinned. _Perfect blackmail material, then._ "What? Your mom name you something stupid?"

"No," the ghost insisted. "To be honest, I-"

A screech erupted from deeper in the chambers, causing both boy and specter to wince. Neku backed away a few steps, reaching for his sword. "What was that?" he muttered.

The ghost looked equally startled. "Nothing good, I'll tell you that." He floated forward. "I know my way around this place, so you just follow me. And if you have to call me by any name, don't call me Roxas, for Walt's sake."

"Well, I can't call you Ghost," Neku said as he started forward.

"Then call me Kite. It's not my _real_ name but it'll be easier on both of us."

Neku nodded. "Okay…Kite. I'll follow you."

"And put that sword away, will you? You don't need it right now and I doubt it'll do you nearly any good."

"And what, magic is better?"

"Exactly."

"But I can't use magic."

"Or can you?"

"Would you stop being so vague? You're driving me nuts!"

Eventually Kite fell silent, but it was clear to Neku that the ghost wasn't too fond of the sword Sora had bought for him. The former proxy was quite certain that it had nothing to do with its looks, either, as Kite had clearly expressed his fondness of using magic. The closest Neku had gotten to using anything of the sort was his psyches, and he couldn't use those without being dead. Maybe Kite had an answer for that…then again, the ghost didn't seem ready to tell him the whole story. "Say, Kite."

"Yeah?"

"You said that you've been watching me. Why?"

Kite shrugged. "Sora said you had the heart of a key bearer," he said. "So I was curious. That's the short version, anyway; the rest isn't all that interesting for someone like you."

Neku felt insulted somehow and scowled at the ghost next to him. Kite must have noticed, because he waved it off. "I'm not calling you _stupid_; you're just a bit _inexperienced_, that's all. It's not a bad thing; when Sora first got the keyblade and woke up in Traverse Town two years ago he was about as clueless as a butcher would be trying to fix a gummi ship."

"What about now?" Neku asked.

Kite laughed. "Well, he learned a bit, but there's still a lot he doesn't know…kid runs off of gut feeling most of the time rather than logic. Strangely enough, he's usually right."

_Kind of like Beat,_ Neku thought with a grin, although Sora was a lot less rough than the skater was. Beat's saving grace was none other than his own sister, Rhyme. The thought made Neku wince. _I sure hope she's doing alright._

Several more minutes passed in silence before Kite stopped in front of another passageway, a stern look on his face. Neku glanced at him worriedly. "Kite? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Kite replied, his voice shaking. "Something's…something's there that shouldn't be.

"Need me to take a look?" Neku suggested.

Kite swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. You go in first; I'll follow."

Neku was about to protest that as a ghost Kite wouldn't need to be worried about getting hurt, but he wasn't entirely sure that Kite _was_ a ghost, nor did he want to hit a sensitive spot, so he swallowed and stepped into the room beyond. In contrast to the previous rooms, this one was once again pink – like the mouth of the whale – but it was also much larger than the small purple chambers. However, the walls were covered in an odd blue substance that Neku didn't feel like going near. On the opposite end of the room was none other than Sora, Remembered Dream in his hands. In the center of the room, facing Sora, was a slim figure in black.

_A Zoner…what's he doing here?_

Upon closer inspection, Sora looked weary, but Neku's arrival must have lifted his spirits. "Neku! What're you doing here?!"

"Looking for you," Neku retorted. "Who's this guy?"

The Zoner turned slightly, pulling his hood down. His face was sharp, eyes narrow and lips pressed into a firm line. Silver hair framed his face, and he smirked at the ex-proxy. "Well, well, well, who do we have here?"

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine," Neku scowled before turning to Kite. "What do we do?"

Kite shrugged. "I'd fight him, but in this state I can't do a thing."

Sora froze. "Roxas?"

The Zoner, however, laughed. "Well, isn't this a new development. The others will have to hear about this…would you mind coming with me, Neku?"

Neku resisted the urge to laugh. "Over my dead body."

"But you are of no use to us dead," The Zoner lamented. "Although, I can't quite say the same about your little friend. If the keyblade's resonance killed her this would be much easier, but then again it is because she resisted it that she is a problem…"

It wasn't hard to put two and two together, although Sora did it much faster than Neku did. "Rhyme!?"

"We would have had her by now if that meddlesome apparition wasn't blocking us out," The Zoner continued, scoffing.

"She's _not_ an apparition, Jaxuk," Kite growled. "And if you don't leave right now you'll be feeling so much pain it'll make your heartless squirm."

Jaxuk chuckled. "I never thought you were the violent type…but if you want a fight, I can very well give you one." With a snap of his fingers, four white, winged nobodies appeared, lances in hand and long appendages waving limply as they hovered.

"Dragoons!" Sora cried. "Neku, run!"

"I believe running isn't an option," Jaxuk said, gesturing to the passage behind them. It was sealed shut. "You're going to come with me, Neku, even if it means for you to be unconscious." With that, he vanished in a swirling portal of black, leaving the three alone with the Nobodies.

"Don't they ever fight their own battles?" Neku grumbled as he drew his sword.

Kite hovered back for a moment. "If they did, you'd already be dead, trust me."

Neku didn't doubt it at all. Gritting his teeth and gripping his sword, he charged into the fray.

* * *

WHAT THE HELL?!

Yes, Neku, we all hate Monstro just as much as you do. Blah, next chapter is going to be way more exciting.

Characters Met:

Monstro (_Kingdom Hearts/Pinocchio_)  
Kite? (_???_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	14. Awakening

Mmkay, people. I've been spoiling you all with fast updates because you're all totally made of win and stuff :3 But don't get too used to it! I'm getting ready to head off to school so updates will be coming slower soon, plus I have a week long trip at the end of the month, so...anyway. On to the chapter!

In which it's not quite playtime for Zarxilt yet.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirteen: Awakening**

* * *

The Traitor stood quietly on a rooftop, his gaze locked onto the Restoration Committee's headquarters. Through one of the windows he could see Aerith wiping another damp cloth over Rhyme's head. "Probably had another fever," he thought aloud. "But wasn't she getting better?"

"Her heart has nearly entirely recovered. It's only a matter of whether or not Aerith will succeed in making the remedy."

Startled, the Traitor turned to face a ghostly figure of a girl, hovering next to him and watching the house intently. He sighed. "None of the Zoners have gotten to her yet?"

"Thankfully not," the girl replied. "My magic isn't as powerful as it was, but it still repels them. I think the boy may be repelling them as well."

"But Neku isn't here," The traitor said.

The girl nodded. "He isn't. It's the other boy, Daisukenojo."

The Traitor didn't do a very good job stifling his laugh. "_That's_ his name?"

"He insists that everyone call him Beat," The girl replied, smiling. "His heart alone is protecting his sister from any intruders, although somehow he allows _me_ in."

"I still want to know how Rhyme survived the resonance," the Traitor said. "She's no Princess, so who is she?"

"Something just as great I'd imagine," the girl stated, smiling, "Though I'm afraid I'm just as knowledgeable about that as you are."

* * *

Neku jumped out of the way just as a Dragoon would have impaled him, its lance instead thrusting downward into Monstro's flesh. He didn't wait to see if it would take long to recover and sliced the beast's torso in two, obliterating it in a burst of white fragments. Sora hurled the keyblade across the room, causing it to slam into another one, and with a flash of light the nobody not only vanished, but the keyblade was summoned back into his hand, only to be hurled like a boomerang toward another Dragoon.

_Keyblade…_

Scowling, Neku parried a sweeping blow with his sword, barely keeping his footing. That voice again…just like the one that he heard in that desert town, Agrabah. What did it want from him?

_Keyblade…_

"Shut up!" Neku screamed as he cut through another dragoon. Sora sent a stream of thunder bolts slamming into the last one.

Gasping for breath, Neku pushed himself to his feet. "That voice," He muttered. "Who was that…?"

"Bravo, bravo. Spectacular show."

Neku, Sora and Kite spun on the spot to see Jaxuk applauding them, a shorter Nobody next to him. The silver-haired Nobody grinned. "How mildly entertaining. Perhaps I should have invited more performers for an encore."

"I don't know," the shorter one said. "It could have used a bit more excitement."

"Quite right, Zarxilt. Perhaps next time we will have a more entertaining performance to enjoy."

"What do you want?" Sora demanded, Remembered Dream pointing threateningly at them.

"What, you don't know?" The short nobody said. "Isn't it obvious? We need Neku over there to come with us."

"You're not getting me," Neku said through his teeth. "I'm not a tool."

"Of course not," Zarxilt replied, giggling. "You're not a tool. You're a _toy_."

Angered beyond belief, Neku gave an enraged cry and hurled his sword through the air. He had better aim than he thought, and the sword pierced the air and headed directly for Zarxilt…where it stopped in midair. Neku's eyes widened. _Wha-?!_

Zarxilt had his hand in front of him, his palm forward. The sword had frozen in midair, inches from the young Nobody's hand. Zarxilt grinned, amused, and began clenching his fingers into a fist. The sword trembled in the air, numerous cracks traveling up and down the blade and the hilt. After exactly two seconds the weapon shattered like fine glass and fell to the bottom of the chamber, no longer even resembling a blade.

Kite winced. "See, Neku? I told you that thing was useless."

"Oh, shut up, Kite."

"Do you _have_ to be so easy?" Zarxilt complained, pulling back his hood. His face looked as young as the rest of him probably did, with one of his eyes covered by a thick eyepatch. Blonde hair fell just above his shoulders, completing the innocent boyish look. Neku scowled even further.

Jaxuk held a hand in front of Zarxilt. "That's enough. I would like to test him before we take him back with us."

"Aww, but _I_ wanted to play with him!"

"You'll have your chance, Zarxilt. Inform the superior."

Zarxilt sighed. "Oh, fine. I'll play with him _later_. Don't break him, Jaxuk! We need him alive, remember?" With one final childish wave, the short nobody vanished in a whirl of darkness.

"Are you guys ever going to tell me why you want me?" Neku demanded. "You're only grating my nerves by leaving me in the dark."

"There is no need to inform you of our schemes," Jaxuk replied, stiffly walking forward a few steps. "All we need is your help."

"You mean you want to use me," Neku scowled, standing his ground in spite of being without a weapon.

Jaxuk laughed. "_He_ said the same thing."

Neku paused. "Wha…who did?"

"The traitor, of course," Jaxuk replied. "We could have had _him_ help us, but, well…heart or no heart, he's so much like you I'm sure he has the same reasons for avoiding us."

"Who _is _the traitor?" Sora demanded, slashing the air angrily with Remembered Dream.

Jaxuk's eyes narrowed. "He is the traitor and no one more. His name is of no importance to us. Now, come with me, Neku."

"Make me!"

In response to Neku's brash words, a sudden explosion of heat sent him flying backward and slamming into the chamber wall behind him, and he collapsed in a heap to the floor. He coughed and spat, tasting blood in his mouth as he began to stand. Jaxuk grinned. "That wasn't quite as difficult as I anticipated," he said, "But I suppose I should expect as much from someone whom doesn't even know how to use his own power."

"Shove it," Neku grumbled.

As Jaxuk neared Neku, Sora rushed forward and stood between then, keyblade brandished. "You'll have to go through me," he cried, "And I'm not letting you get near him!"

Kite, meanwhile, hovered downward. "Nice going, Neku. You nearly got yourself killed."

"Can't you help at all, Kite?"

"Kite?" Jaxuk echoed. "Well, that's certainly an interesting alias. Couldn't you come up with something better to suit you, key bearer?"

Kite spun on the spot. "Shut your face," he growled, his temper flaring. "I'm here to help Neku, not whine over names."

Neku stared in shock, ignoring the trickle of blood down his chin. Kite had been a keyblade master?

"You can't do a thing without possessing someone," Jaxuk shot back. "I'd hate to be around when you confess your deeds to Sora, here. I'm sure _he_ didn't enjoy being used as your vessel."

Sora shrank back, eyes softening. "What…?"

"Not like I had a choice," Kite replied, unfazed by Jaxuk's remark. "Besides, I didn't hurt anyone. I never would. I know _you're_ more than happy to, though. You destroyed your own world, _Kuja_."

Jaxuk roared angrily, sending a stream of pale, impure light straight for Sora. Kite's eyes widened and he vanished just as Sora's eyes lit up a pale blue color and the boy dove to the side, the beam missing by inches and slamming into the wall just above Neku. Jaxuk laughed. "Just as I suspected. You're going to protect Roxas as well?"

"Sora," Kite corrected him. Neku flinched at the echoing dual voice. "His name is _Sora_."

"Right, my mistake. And now look, you've gone off and possessed him again."

'Sora' sighed and there was a brief glow as Kite reappeared next to him, leaving the brunette dazed. "There. Happy now?"

Neku's eyes widened. "Kite, _you_ were the one leading me on the whole time?"

Kite looked away. "When I heard that Shibuya was in danger and that the Zoners were coming for you, I didn't have any other choice, so I tried to awaken you…but I could only do so much and…I'm sorry, Neku."

Sora, meanwhile, was catching his breath and gave Kite a look that was some mixture of anger, awe, amazement and sorrow. Kite only returned an apologetic look and spread his arms in front of them. "You're not touching Neku, and you're not touching Sora. Not on my watch."

Jaxuk, looking thoroughly amused, summoned another pale light in his hand. "I wonder if you can hold to your word." With that, he fired the beam at Neku.

It happened too quickly for Neku to comprehend. One moment the beam was racing at him, and he felt a strange sensation of warmth and weightlessness wrap around him. His body wheeled out of the way just in time to dodge the beam of impure radiance, and the warmth evaporated as Kite reappeared.

Neku blinked. _Did…did he just _possess_ me?_

"Sorry about that," Kite muttered. "I said I wouldn't let him hurt you." Neku didn't bother responding; things were happening so fast he could barely comprehend left from right.

"Insolence," Jaxuk growled, his face contorting with anger. "You leave me no choice!" He lifted his hand and a dark force spread, pinning Sora and Kite against the wall. Neku gasped; he didn't even know a ghost was capable of being confined like this.

The darkness slammed into him as well. A metallic taste arose in his mouth, causing him to gag and choke. His body prickled with pain, and Jaxuk approached, eyes narrow in malevolence.

_**You musn't give up.**_

Neku thought the world had just frozen around him. Things suddenly began to move so slowly, and he somehow had time to think. _That voice…you're from my dream! Who are you? Are you Kite?_

_**Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all.**_

_But I'm defenseless! How can my heart help me? This isn't dreamland, this is for real!_

_**Call upon your heart…let the power that sleeps within you fully awaken…**_

_Wait!_

_**Step forth, Neku…do not be afraid…**_

The voice left him, and Jaxuk was nearing. Neku knew that his sword was of no use – Zarxilt had seen to that – and he held his hands in front of him, vainly protecting himself from the oncoming assault. He squinted his eyes shut, searching his mind for whatever the voice had mentioned.

He involuntarily drew upon his memories of the Game and of his friends. Rhyme's desperate attempt to save her brother, even though she hadn't known of that fact. How he and Beat battled Konishi, and how even as Noise, Rhyme had aided them. How Shiki and Beat had raced to his aid in the battle against Kitaniji. How Shiki had begged him to come back safely from the Room of Reckoning when the heartless threatened Shibuya. How Sora had used the last of his energy to save Neku and Neku's world, even though Shibuya wasn't Sora's own home. How Joshua had decided that Shibuya wasn't beyond hope after all and spared it – and him – after all.

And how he would never, _ever_ let them down.

Something happened. A light encircled Neku, and a warmth much like his dream enveloped him. His heart tugged violently as his hand began to sting with power. Something flashed even brighter than the light, and he saw Jaxuk lunge at him, only to be blocked by…something. There was a distinct sizzling sound and the Nobody gave a feral screech, stumbling back and clutching his arm. When the light faded he saw that there was something akin to steam rising off of Jaxuk's hand, and he could have sworn that the man's glove had _melted_ a little.

Jaxuk swore under his breath and backed away. "You haven't seen the last of me," he warned as he vanished into darkness, his voice echoing one last time. "Our Lord Meyxours will hear about this!"

Neku barely heard him. He was staring at the object that had appeared in his hand, so awed by its appearance that he barely noticed the power that now coursed through his veins. The handle seemed perfectly fitted to him, with a rounded guard protecting his hands, the guard itself strongly reminding Neku of the noise in Shibuya somehow, the way it looked like graffiti that had come alive. The shaft was suspiciously similar, twisting around until the very end, where it squared off with a symbol suspiciously similar to the skull-and-crossbones on the player pin he had used so often. Dangling off the end was a small chain, at the end of which was a small token strongly resembling his player pin. Overall, the weapon was incredibly lightweight, and something about it made it feel so natural to hold, like he had done it all his life. The question was, what was it?

Then, Sora's words from that time echoed in his mind: _"You've got the heart for it, after all."_

It took Neku roughly a split second to realize that the object in his hand was a keyblade.

* * *

Isn't this a fascinating development! n.n But I'm pretty sure you all saw it coming.

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	15. Excalibur Returns

Okay people, yikes. I would have updated earlier, but not only was I in town (dentist and other stuff) but I also had to deal with an internet outage when I came home -.- You know the "Limited or No Connectivity" thing that pops up? That. Though I have to admit, this chapter took longer to write anyway 'cause I got stuck for a bit.

Anywho, I'm back now, so here's a chapter.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Fourteen: Excalibur Returns**

* * *

If what Aerith said was true, then Rhyme wouldn't be waking up until Neku and the others got back. Beat did his best not to show his anxiety, but it could hardly be helped. He could only keep up the tough act for so long, and he didn't know when his friends would return. For all he knew, that crash they had gotten into could have ended them. If that was true, then he would never see any of them again, and Rhyme would never wake up.

Beat collapsed in a heap, burying his face in the sheets and biting back tears. It was only when he did that he felt something cold and wet nudged his ankle. Looking down, Beat saw a small white dog sitting at his feet, head tilted and one pointy ear flopped to the side. His tail thumped quietly against the floor and he whimpered very quietly. Beat quirked an eyebrow at the mutt. "Who's he?"

Yuffie grinned. "Oh, him? He wandered in a few weeks ago. No one really knows where he came from."

"He got an owner?" Beat asked, stroking the fur on the dog's head, causing him to whine contentedly. He then examined the nametag on the dog's neck. _'Bolt'? Weird name._ Upon looking closer, however, he noticed a black lightning-shaped mark on the dog's back. _Oh. Now I get it._

"If he does, we don't know him," Yuffie replied, stuffing a few more books onto the shelf. "Bolt's fearless…nearly impossible to keep track of. He keeps us company, though, and I've even seen Leon petting him a few times." She looked up from her task and chuckled. "He seems to like you."

Indeed, Bolt had taken a liking to Beat. He rolled over onto his back, tongue lolling out of his mouth. With a sigh, the skater reached down and rubbed the mutt's belly, a grin tugging at his lips when Bolt's leg twitched. "Where you think he's from?" Beat asked.

It was then that Yuffie's smile faded. "We don't know that, either. His home was probably taken by the heartless. Somehow he managed to make it here."

Standing upright and shaking himself off, Bolt jumped up onto the bed and sat, staring at Rhyme's sleeping form and nudging her face with his nose. Beat shook his head. "She ain't wakin' up, yo," he said. "Not 'til Sora gets back."

Bolt gave Beat a strange look…one almost human. It was hard for him to discern, so Beat ignored it like he usually tended to do. Instead he returned his attention to Rhyme, pulling off her beanie cap again and stroking a few stray strands of blonde hair from her face. The way she laid there so unmoving and peaceful bothered him. He would give anything to see her open her eyes, even if it was only for a few seconds like the times before. Bolt licked her cheek, possibly hoping for the same thing, but Rhyme didn't even twitch. Saddened, he sat down and tilted his head, one of his ears flopping over.

Beat clenched a fist, biting his cheek so that the tears wouldn't come, but they came anyway. "You're gonna be okay, Rhyme," he muttered. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

Yuffie gave the group a quiet smile and left. Beat ignored the sound of the door closing and kept vigilant watch over his slumbering sister, the little white dog making his way to the empty spot on the pillow and curling up.

* * *

Sora's mind was racing. He had been confronting Jaxuk when Neku arrived, but hadn't managed to get much out of him. The nobody possessed incredible power; he had never seen anyone able to pin a ghost down before. Then again…_was_ that a ghost he had seen?

_**I assure you, that wasn't me.**_

_Then who was it? Kite looks almost exactly like you._

_**No clue…**_

_He seems kinda familiar though. And he's a keyblade master, or at least he was. Who was he? And what was that about me being that ghost's 'vessel'?_

_**I do the same thing.**_

_That's different, Roxas. You're my Nobody. You have every right to._

_**But what about Kite? He seemed upset about it at any rate, and he even said he wanted to protect you and all, and he wouldn't hurt anyone…but…**_

Sora had barely cleared his head when the keyblade tugged at his mind. Glancing up, he noticed that Neku was sitting shell-shocked on the floor, staring at a long object in his hand. Sora took it in for a few seconds before his eyes widened in realization. _Is that a keyblade?!_

As though his thoughts had cued it, Neku dropped the weapon and scooted quickly away from it, eyes wide as saucers. The keyblade before Neku vanished in a soft flash of light, and Sora saw the boy place a surprised hand over his chest before glancing around.

_**Well, whadoya know.**_

Agreeing silently with Roxas, Sora stood and made his way toward Neku. "You okay?" he asked.

Neku nodded. "I think so. You have any idea what just happened?"

Sora shook his head. "I didn't see much. That Jaxuk guy blocked me off, but when he tried to attack you there was that light and then he was stumbling back." He glanced back to the spot where Jaxuk had vanished. There were a few black dots on the ground from where his glove had been melted. "I think your keyblade may have done it."

There was hardly a response from Neku. The boy was still considerably stunned, and Sora didn't blame him; he himself was rather surprised as well. He _had_ said once before that Neku had the heart of a key bearer, and he should have expected this to happen, but…it was still a shock.

"_**Words hold greater power than even the mightiest of swords or spells." Zexion told me that once.**_

_I guess he was right…_

An awkward silence passed before Sora finally stood up. "Let's go. The others are waiting."

Neku gave Sora an odd look. "Weren't you looking for something?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "I already found it though." He hesitated for a moment, thinking back on the other visitor that he had seen. The ghost…he was gone. Maybe Jaxuk had disposed of him, or maybe he had left? Either way, Sora couldn't feel that feeling in the air that he had felt when the ghost had arrived.

"Where's Kite?" Neku asked suddenly.

Sora blinked. _Wow. Speak of the devil._ "The ghost? He vanished." He looked away. _I had so much I wanted to ask him…like who he was, what he did to me…_

Neku slowly began to stand up, wobbling a bit before finally coming to his feet. "Which way do we go to get out?" He asked. "I don't think I can stand this place for much longer."

Remembering his previous encounters with the Parasite Cage, Sora pointed to the now-open cavity in the center of the chamber. "We jump through there."

"Jump?" Neku echoed, as though such an activity were taboo. "Do you even know where that leads?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. He was about to go on his own before he noticed that Neku was taking longer to get his balance. _Oh, right…that happened to me for a while, too._ "You need some help?"

Neku nodded, accepting aid from the brunette for a few moments before he could regain composure.

* * *

_There you are. Mission accomplished?_

_Yeah._

_Oh? Why the long face, then?_

_Well, he did it on his own, like I hoped he would, but now Sora knows about what I did._

_I'm sure he won't be mad. He's a very forgiving person._

_I know, but Roxas isn't. If you saw the look he gave DiZ you'd be heading all the way back to Kingdom Hearts just to avoid getting the same look yourself._

_What, you were there?_

_Maybe. Maybe not._

_Oh, for crying out loud…look, quick update on my end. Rhyme is still safe. Once Sora and the others get out of Monstro – which should be any minute now – they'll be headed off to get some Shoalweed to get the cure for Rhyme's…are you listening?_

_Yeah…_

_Oh, I know that look. What's wrong?_

_Don't you think that what we're doing is…well, wrong?_

_What…?_

_Think about it. Neku hates being used. Even if I did help give him the push he needed to protect his friends…aren't we just using him in the end for what _we_ want?_

* * *

Neku couldn't help but wriggle a finger in his ear. Ever since the keyblade had appeared in his hand, it was as though suddenly the world was a lot more vibrant than before…like someone had cleared up a blur in his eyes and pulled cotton out of his ears. Hell, he could even _smell_ better, which didn't help the situation with the stench plaguing Monstro's innards. He could really do with a sound muffler right about now, and decided to pull his headphones back up over his ears.

Unfortunately, he hadn't even touched them when Shiki had noticed him and nearly tackled him to the ground. "Neku! Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Not so loud," He whimpered, wincing and grinding his teeth, but he was happy to see Shiki all the same. His eyes watered a bit, either due to actual crying or to adjusting to how much more he could see. Some things, however, caught him by surprise. _…is that scented shampoo or does Shiki actually wear perfume?_

Riku stood. "There you are. What happened? We heard a bit of bashing around…"

"Sorry about that," Sora said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "We had a run in with a few Nobodies but Neku…" He hesitated, glancing over at the ex-proxy uncertainly. Neku returned the look. What was Sora trying to tell him?

Luckily, Kairi spoke up. "Well, at least you two are safe. We thought Neku might get lost in there; he ran off after you without really telling us why."

Riku gave Neku another one of those suspicious looks, accompanied by the usual menacing silence, and looked away. Neku flinched. _Why does he keep looking at me like that? It's like I'm a criminal…_

His thoughts were halted when a flare of light appeared nearby. All eyes were directed to it as it appeared just underneath the roof of the ruined boat, pulsing with familiarity. Sora's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

As though to confirm his suspicions – whatever they were – a tiny, familiar figure hopped out of the light. "Hey, guys! Long time no see!"

Neku blinked. "Chip?"

"At your service!" The chipmunk replied. "We heard you got into a crash, and this is where we tracked ya down. Aerith nearly had a heart attack when the transmission cut off."

"Wait a sec," Shiki interrupted. "How are we supposed to get back? The _Falcon_'s a mess."

Chip gave them a sly grin. "Who said you'd be riding in the _Falcon_? C'mon, we've got you a ride out."

"This had better not be a cheap one again," Neku heard Riku mutter as he dusted his pants off and speak louder. "Well, what're we waiting for? I'm more than sick of this place."

_Sure you are,_ Neku thought sarcastically, feeling the previous nausea rise again. _First thing I do when I go back to school…see if I can skip biology class and sign up for something else._

The group stepped through the portal, more than happy to be exiting Monstro's insides. They were greeted by a relatively bright control panel, with familiar windows, familiar seats… Sora's eyes lit up. "Guys! You fixed up the Excalibur!"

"Sure did!" Dale chirped up. "And we made a few minor adjustments, too. We put in some extra seats and a cloaking device so ya won't have to worry about Monstro again."

"Cloaking device?" Riku questioned as he picked his seat, feeling the handles of what looked like a steering wheel in front of him. Judging by previous experience, Neku decided it must be for the arsenal rather than the engines.

Chip rubbed his head. "Well, it's still relatively new so it's still got a few bugs, and it only works while you're in orbit. Monstro doesn't have very good eyesight, though, so we don't have to worry about it for now."

"Better than nothing," Kairi said, smiling brightly. "Thanks, you two."

He couldn't see it under the fur, but Neku was pretty sure Dale's cheeks had flushed red. "Aw, it was nothin'."

Giving off a grin of his own, Sora pulled up a transmission from the Restoration Committee…which came up a lot faster than when they had been in the _Falcon_. "_Excalibur_ to _Highwind_, do you copy?"

The screen lit up with a familiar ninja's face filling its entirety. "Sora! Oh, thank Ventus, you're safe!"

The key bearer grinned. "And we're all still in one piece, Yuffie."

"Everyone's been worried _sick_ about you! I just got back from the lab with Aerith; she's still working on Rhyme's antidote. Did you run into any trouble?"

Sora bit his lip. "Well…nothing huge. There were a few nobodies in there."

_Why is he so hesitant?_ Neku wondered. _Wouldn't he tell them that the Zoners had showed up and nearly killed me? Or that I have a keyblade now, if that's what it was?_

Yuffie rolled her eyes and sat back, allowing a better view for Aerith. "Why am I not surprised?"

Aerith stepped forward. "Rhyme is doing just fine. Once we get the antidote to her, she'll be her old self again."

Neku looked away. _No. Rhyme won't be her old self again. She never will be. That was lost in the Reaper's Game. She'll never get that back. Waking her up is about as close to that as anyone will ever get._

Sora nodded resolutely. "Shoalweed, right? I think I know where we can get some. We're gonna head on over there now."

"Thank you, Sora."

"Just one thing," Sora said. "Is Beat there?"

The two women glanced to the side, and Yuffie nodded. "He's here, but I don't think you'll be able to talk to him for now. He won't leave his sister."

"I see," Sora replied, his expression a mixture of relief and disappointment. Neku quirked an eyebrow; had he wanted to say something to the skater?

"Is something wrong?" Yuffie asked.

Sora shook his head. "No, nothing. If you could, can you tell him we'll be back soon? We'll be heading to Radiant Garden once we get what you need."

Aerith nodded. "We'll let him know. Thank you, Sora."

Neku leaned back in his chair as the transmission cut off. "Are you really sure you know where to find Shoalweed, Sora?"

"I agree," Shiki said. "We've never heard of it before, and even though Aerith told you where it can be found, you sounded like you've never even seen it before."

"It can't be _that_ hard to find," Sora said, crossing his arms indignantly. "Besides, I have a good feeling about where we'll find it."

"Let's hope that feeling is right," Riku said. "Chip, Dale, you guys know where we are?"

"We're somewhere near Olympus," Chip replied with a salute.

Sora gave a low whistle. "It'll take all night for us to get there," he muttered. "We're in for an overnight trip, guys."

"Does this thing even have a place to sleep?" Shiki asked, hefting Mr. Mew higher into her lap.

"In the back it does," Dale said. "We added a few extra beds for you, too. Nothing fancy, but…"

"It'll work," Kairi said. "Come on, everyone. I bet you're all exhausted."

_You said it,_ Neku thought, stretching and watching as Sora set the ship into auto-pilot. It was hard to tell when night was, given the fact that the stars were always out when you were in space. He turned away briefly and stared out the window. From where he was, he could see Monstro wandering off, and nearby was another planet that they were passing by. Several colorful auroras appeared here and there, but he looked past them, trying to see if he could make out Shibuya anywhere among the mass of sparkling lights. He couldn't.

The day had been exhausting and unbelievably long. He had fled Shibuya, wound up in Radiant Garden and learned that some group of universal enemies was after him, trekked through a desert and flew on a _rug_ into some desert ruins, got swallowed by a whale of colossal size, had a conversation with a _ghost_, and attained a keyblade of his own (or at least had one appear in his hands and save him from potential pain)…all while avoiding getting captured, killed, and hoping that Rhyme's mysterious condition would improve. _Did this all really happen in one day?_

"Neku?"

He turned to see Sora standing nearby; everyone else had left. Neku nodded. "I'm just…well…"

"It's overwhelming?" Sora suggested. When Neku nodded, he grinned lopsidedly. "Yeah. It was like that my first time, too. You get used to it after a while." He peered out the window at the stars. "Only, my world was destroyed when I first started out. I wasn't sure whether or not I'd ever see home again, and restoring it wasn't exactly easy." He shuddered.

"You've been saving lives for years though," Neku pointed out. "You're used to it now."

Sora chuckled. "I sure hope so." He straightened up. "Hey, Neku?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a…well, kind of a favor to ask you."

Neku crossed his arms. "What's that?"

"The place we're going…" Sora rubbed his neck nervously. "It's not going to take quite that long to get there. It's not exactly the same as other worlds, so having five people swim around in a tight group would be pretty, um…"

"Suspicious, right?" Neku supplied. _Yeah. I guess I could kind of expected…wait a sec._ "Hang on, swimming?"

Sora shrugged. "Well, the Shoalweed _is_ at the bottom of the ocean, right? We'll have to swim to get to it."

Neku glanced around nervously. "Look, Sora, I can swim, but how are we getting down there? Scuba diving?"

There was a mischievous grin on Sora's face and a glint in his eye that Neku had seen before. "I wouldn't worry about that, Neku."

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

"What I mean to say is that not all of us can go at once, so I can only take one person with me." Sora sighed. "I thought I might take Riku, but because of what happened in Monstro…" He glanced downward toward Neku's hand.

_Oh, I get it._ "You want to ask me about the keyblade that showed up?" Neku asked. "Can't you do that now?"

Sora shook his head. "Not just that…besides, Rhyme's your friend, right? Don't you want to help her?"

Neku nodded. "Yeah, but…why not Shiki? Rhyme's her friend, too."

"The place we're going is dangerous," Sora replied. "And there's something else, too…"

_I know that look._ "Alright, fine. I'll go with you. You'll wake me up early or something?"

Sora nodded. "Roxas will," He said. "I'll be putting us in orbit once we get there. With any luck we'll be back before they notice we're missing."

Neku nodded. "Alright, you do that. I'll go get what sleep I can." With that, he headed to the back of the ship.

The room was small and layered with hammocks. Riku had one near the floor with Kairi directly above him, and Shiki was on one wall just over an empty hammock. Chip and Dale took up two miniature ones nearest to the door. With a sigh, Neku crawled into his own – one farthest away from Riku – and stared at the unoccupied hammock over him before falling asleep.

* * *

I wouldn't count on that plan working if I were you, Sora.

Characters met:

Bolt (_Chasing The Truth/Bolt_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	16. Swimming Lessons

Quick note: I'm getting people asking me who the Zoners are. The answer for now is this: _I'm not telling._ That'd be spoiling some of the story. I'm sure that some of you already have some of them figured out, but please don't ask me who they are; I'm not going to spoil my own story. HOWEVER. Their "true names" and such WILL be revealed, like in chapter 14 (or 13 if you don't want to count the prologue), and other things about each of them are revealed as the story goes along. So _please_, don't ask, because I'm not going to spoil the story for you.

In response to one of my reviewers, I regret to say that I may not be able to fit Rhino into this fic. Do not fear, however, as that is not set in stone and _may_ change. If he doesn't make an appearance, there _will_ at least be a reference to him.

Concerning Kite, I have to agree with several of you. The name does remind me of .hack XD! That's not how I chose his name, though. It was a seriously huge coincidence.

I also just noticed that I have over 100 reviews. O.O Have I ever mentioned how utterly awesome you guys are?

Before we begin, quick shout out to two of my reviewers, one of which is going to Japan and another whom is going to be in a performance tomorrow. Good luck to both of you! n.n!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Fifteen: Swimming Lessons**

* * *

"Geez, he sleeps like a log…wake up, Neku. Time to go."

Neku cracked one eye open to see Roxas staring back at him. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, peering at the other beds to make sure everyone else was still asleep. Then, standing quietly, he made his way out the door, Roxas following, and closed it behind him.

Sora was standing at the control panel, peering out the window at a small world. There was a large, golden castle to be seen, but other than that the entire world was encased in a craggy skeleton of what appeared to be stone, with the entirety of it filled with nothing but water.

"That does seem like the place," Neku commented.

"Yep," Sora replied. "That's where we're going."

"But it's nothing but water," Neku protested quietly. "How are we going to find the shoalweed? We can't swim that deep."

Roxas grinned as he began to vanish back within Sora. "You won't need to worry about that, Neku."

Once Roxas had vanished completely, Sora hit a few buttons on the control panel and the familiar portal appeared before him. "Okay," he began, taking Neku by the wrist. "We're going to have to step through at the same time for this place. It's a bit complicated and I can't explain why, but you'll have to trust me for now."

_Not like I have any other choice,_ Neku decided, swallowing hard and entering the portal of light. As the radiance surged around him, he felt the air rapidly grow damp and heavy.

* * *

**Scan complete, Mr. Highwind. I'm afraid that I couldn't pick up very much, though.**

"That's fine," Cid replied. "If you could lemme know what you've got, that'll do for now."

**Certainly. I'll transfer the data.**

Freya tapped her foot. "Still haven't found anything?"

Cid gave a low grunt before replying. "With any luck, this scan will have at least a smidgen of somethin' good. Any news on your end?"

Zidane entered, his fists clenched and his eyes narrowed. The angry expression was uncharacteristic on him. "Nothing from the cavern other than heartless, heartless and more heartless. Something's fishy, though…I think the Zoners are up to something."

"They're _always_ up to something, Zidane," Freya said with a slight groan.

"I mean they're planning something big," the genome corrected himself. "Shantotto came back earlier and said 'major events on the way, be prepared or die.' Or at least something along those lines…"

**Data transfer complete, Mr. Highwind. You may want to take a look at this.**

He did. Cid squinted and flipped through a few screens before his eyes suddenly widened considerably. His cigarette fell clean out of his mouth. "You've gatta be kidding me…"

"What's wrong?" Freya asked.

Cid spun on his heels. "Get Leon in here. _Now_. We've found something, alright."

* * *

The sound of water rushing in his ears was the first thing Neku heard, quickly accompanied by a flurry of bubbles. Several fish sped away, and a number of seaweed plants waved idly. The early morning sunlight filtered from above and danced on the ocean floor, creating a calming reflection on the smooth sand.

Realizing that he was underwater, Neku gagged, clutching his throat momentarily before holding his breath and kicking for the surface of the water. In doing so, he felt that his legs weren't responding properly and the panic only strengthened. Desperate to reach air, Neku wheeled his arms and pushed for the surface, somehow making it up just before his lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen. He gasped for air and clung to a nearby rock, panting and allowing the panic to fade.

Neku looked around for any sign of a city. There was none; only water to be seen everywhere around him. A few rocks jutted upward every now and then, but no real shoreline was to be seen. Where had Sora taken him, and what gave him the big idea to drop him off _twenty feet below the surface_?!

"Hey, I thought you said you could swim."

Startled, Neku nearly slipped off of the rock he had clung to. Propped up via elbows on the other side was Sora, grinning in what appeared to be amusement. Neku noted that his gloves – as well as his shirt and jacket – were gone. It was understandable; he wouldn't want them to get wet. He scowled, however, at the brunette's comment. "Yeah, that was when my legs actually worked."

Sora chuckled. "Actually, Neku…"

"What?"

"You don't _have_ legs anymore."

It took a few moments for the words to sink in. At first Neku believed that Sora meant his legs had been removed, but he still felt them, so that couldn't be right. He blinked. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Shrugging, Sora slunk off the rock. "Fine. I can _show_ you if you're that curious. Wait here." With that, he sunk in the water.

At first, Neku was worried about his friend, and pulled himself up further on the rock he had chosen. There were several bubbles rising to the surface and he bit his lip. If Sora was going to show him something, why did he need to go underwater?

After several long moments, Sora shot out of the water's surface like a bullet, twisting in the air. Sora looked rather the same as he had earlier, with one major difference: rather than legs, he had a long, blue, dolphin-esque _tail_.

_What the…_ When the realization sunk in, Neku twisted around to look at where his legs would have been, instead finding that they had been replaced by a slender tail similar to an orca, tinted in dual shades of violet. _…HELL?!_

Sora, whom had resurfaced, smirked. "How else did you expect to get to the bottom of the ocean?"

Had Neku's jaw not still been attached to his skull it would have fallen to the ground. "You know, after everything else I've seen, I really should have expected something like this, but…_geez_." He shook his head, finally tearing his gaze away from his new appendage. "How often to you do this, Sora?"

The brunette shrugged. "I've been to Atlantica several times, so I know my way around and such, but it's not something I do on a normal basis if you get what I mean."

"Lead the way, then," Neku said, shrugging and working his way off of his perch. After plummeting into the water, he took an experimental breath. _Weird. It's just like breathing air._ He began to attempt to swim, but quickly found himself sinking head-first. He crossed his arms. _This has got to be a huge blow to my dignity right here._

Sora chuckled. "Looks like you could use a few swimming lessons."

Neku rolled his eyes. "You think?"

After about five minutes and several non-collision-induced headaches, Neku finally got the hang of having a tail instead of legs. Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult once he knew what he was doing wrong, and since they were high enough to avoid the coral they didn't risk any major crashes or dangers. Eventually, however, their search had to begin and Sora led him downward into the deeper parts of the sea.

It was then that a thought occurred to Neku. "Do we even know what Shoalweed looks like?"

"Absolutely not," Sora replied. "That's why we're going to ask the locals."

"You know anyone around here?"

"A few people, yeah. One of 'em is a bit shy, but he recognizes me, so we shouldn't have any problems unless we run into a shark or something."

Neku swallowed. "This place has sharks…?"

Sora shrugged. "Yeah. I ran into one once, but he didn't bother me after I got through with him."

_Gee, he's got _all_ the bases covered. What's next, the old sea witch that plagued a kingdom of merpeople was taken care of by him, too?_

They made their way past an undersea gorge and toward a small cavern, its entrance blocked by a boulder. Sora grabbed onto one side of the rock and powered his fins, managing to open up the small cave. Neku followed when Sora waved him in, gawking when he saw what was within the cave.

It was more of a grotto than anything. At the very top, there was a small opening where the light filtered through, and littering the natural shelves of the column-like cave were various familiar objects: silverware, a music box, an old-fashioned globe, a pair of glasses, and other odds and ends. There was even an old smoking pipe on one shelf. "What is this place?" Neku asked, glancing warily at an old, half-burned candle.

"Ariel's grotto," Sora explained, swimming upward a bit. "She used to collect all sorts of stuff and store it in here. I thought I'd at least find someone-"

"Sora?"

The voice was quiet and timid. Neku looked for the source of the voice, but only saw a small, chubby, blue-and-yellow fish peeking at them from the entrance of the cave. He was about to look around more when he decided that the voice probably belonged to the said fish. _Knowing how the other worlds were, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case._

Sora swam over. "Hey, Flounder. What're you doing here?"

_Yep, thought so._

Flounder swam forward timidly. "Well, nothing really. I saw someone swimming in here and I thought I might see who it was…who's this?"

"Name's Neku," Neku said, crossing his arms. "I'm a, uh…friend of Sora's. We're here looking for something."

The fish quirked an eyebrow curiously. "Whacha lookin' for?"

"Something called Shoalweed," Sora said. "Ever heard of it?"

Flounder looked away for a moment, eyes narrowed in thought, before replying. "I've heard of it…but it's kind of rare, even around here. There was some growing around the old sunken ship, but if not I bet Ursula probably had some."

"I should have thought of that," Sora muttered. "You know what it looks like?"

"Well…"

* * *

Beat wiped the sleep out of his eye. He had fallen asleep at Rhyme's bedside for that night, refusing to leave her. Rhyme, however, remained in her coma. Her breathing was slow and silent, but she was fine otherwise. Bolt blinked a few times, waking up at roughly the same time as Beat, and sat up, yawning widely. Beat grinned, patting the little dog on the head.

"Good morning, Beat," Aerith said calmly.

"Mornin'," Beat replied wearily. "Sora and the others back yet?"

Aerith shook her head. "No, but they should be back sometime today if all goes well. Were you sleeping next to Rhyme again?"

"Yeah," Beat muttered, returning his attention to his sister.

Bolt, dismayed that his petting session had ended, hopped off of the bed and stretched his legs, shaking himself fully awake afterward. He then proceeded to sit quietly next to Beat, flopping one ear to the side and staring at the boy with wide eyes. Aerith noticed this quickly and chuckled. "Looks like Bolt's taken a liking to you."

Smiling slightly, Beat have in and stroked the dog's back. "My dad never let us have any pets, yo," he explained. "But Rhyme always liked dogs."

"I bet Bolt would be more than happy to play with her when she wakes up," Aerith said.

Someone knocked on the door. Aerith placed down a small basket she had been carrying and opened the door cautiously. "Yuffie? What is it?"

"Where's Leon?"

Aerith blinked. "I think he went down to the market. Why?"

"Cid found something," Yuffie replied, nearly out of breath. "Something _huge_. We're still not sure why they want Neku, but I think we finally know what the Zoners want from Ansem's computer…"

* * *

Oh, if only you knew, Yuffie... XD

Describing a tail is a hard thing to do. Neku's entrance was even harder. Pretty awkward chapter...the next one is going to have some action, just so you know.

Characters met:

Flounder (_Kingdom Hearts/The Little Mermaid_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	17. Ships and Sharks

The Atlantica visit is running longer than I anticipated...but yeah, STUFF HAPPENS! WOOHOO!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Sixteen: Ships and Sharks  
**

* * *

Riku stared angrily at the two empty hammocks nearby. They should have been occupied by Sora and Neku, but they weren't. The cockpit was empty too, and they were set in orbit around Atlantica. That could only mean one thing.

"Why would they go off without us?" Shiki asked. "Weren't we all supposed to look together?"

"He probably knows something about this world that we don't," Riku concluded, arms still crossed. "Or he just wanted something else."

Kairi tilted her head. "Like what?"

The silver-haired key wielder looked away. He hadn't told anyone, but something about Neku put him on edge. Not in a particularly malicious way, but he knew that the boy was hiding something from him…something big. Ever since he came back from Monstro, his scent had changed significantly. Sora didn't talk quite as much about Neku as he probably would have on any other occasion…what was going on that he didn't know about?

"Are we going to go after them?" Shiki asked.

Riku sighed. "I really don't know if we should. Sora's the only one out of all of us that's been here, and this world is…well, a _lot_ different from all the rest. There aren't any heartless here anymore, and I doubt that any nobodies will ever bother the place, but it's got its own trouble to deal with from what Sora's told me."

Shiki hugged Mr. Mew tightly. "So, what do we do?"

He looked at the world very intently, eyes narrowed in thought. "Well, this is kind of crazy, but here's what we'll do…"

* * *

"You're insane, Sora. Crazy. Mad. Nuts. Messed up in the head. I'm running out of adjectives. Seriously, what the hell gave you the idea to do _that_?!"

Sora couldn't help but laugh at Neku's comments. The former proxy couldn't swim quite as powerfully as Sora could, so he had taken a route that he had taken the first time he had reached Atlantica and hitched a ride on one of the friendly neighborhood dolphins. Neku had barely managed to grip the tail before they had taken off at high speed toward the calm depths, heading toward the alcove where the sunken ship resided. "Aw, come on, Neku. It was fun, admit it."

Neku's face was redder than a white mushroom's cap. "You could have at _least_ warned me! I only just figured out how to swim and now I'm nearly disoriented all over again!"

Rolling his eyes, Sora waved Neku forward. "Come on. Ursula's place is right near the sunken ship, so we won't be trekking everywhere."

"Who's Ursula?"

_Figured he'd ask,_ Sora thought with a sigh. "An old sea witch that tried to take over Atlantica. When the heartless were around she was causing all kinds of trouble and more. She's long gone now, but her lair is still there. I guess no one bothered to get rid of it."

There was an odd expression of amusement on Neku's face before they continued. Sora shoved a few branches of seaweed out of his way as they exited the short tunnel. "Here we go…the sunken ship."

It was just as he had remembered. The murky water, the algae-covered walls, the bits of stray wood all over the sandy sea floor, and various bits of coral littering the immediate area…none of it had changed. The ship itself was no more decayed than it had been last time Sora had visited it (aside from the shattered window, which had been thanks to a shark that nearly gave him a heart attack).

_**Water, water everywhere…he would hate this place with a passion.**_

Sora laughed aloud. _He sure would._

Neku, having missed the conversation glanced at Sora. "What's so funny? This place gives me the creeps."

Smiling and swimming forward, Sora began to explain. "Roxas was just thinking about how Axel would hate it here."

"Axel?"

He paused. "I never told you about him?"

Neku shook his head. "Nope."

With a sigh, Sora looked up at the surface of the water before replying. "Well, Axel was a member of Organization XIII…and he was Roxas's best friend, too. Personally, I could never figure him out. He was about as predictable as the weather."

"But he was in the Organization," Neku pointed out. "Does that mean that you…?"

Sora shook his head. "No…he turned traitor and left the Organization. He gave me a few warnings about what they were planning…I'm still not sure if he was looking after me or if he just wanted Roxas back. When I went to save Kairi from the Organization's stronghold, I was stuck in a place in between. There was this _huge_ crowd of Nobodies that attacked…Axel showed up and helped me fight them off, but in the end he…" He choked, partially from Roxas's own emotions. _I'm sorry._

_**It's not your fault.**_

"What did he do?"

"He sacrificed himself," Sora said quietly, "To get rid of the Nobodies and to open up the way to the castle." He nearly choked again. "He started to tell me something, but I don't think I ever got a chance to hear it."

_**I made him feel like he had a heart…**_

_Roxas? You okay?_

_**Y-Yeah. Just gimme a sec.**_

_Good thing we're underwater. If you start crying at least the tears won't be seen._

_**You were upset too, though, weren't you? And not because of me.**_

…_Yeah. I was. Axel…there's something about him I couldn't really put a finger on._

Neku but his lip. "I'm sorry."

Sora shook his head. "Let's just find the Shoalweed. If we don't get back before the others wake up, Riku will never let me hear the end of it."

"Are you sure you trust a description from a fish, though?"

"Flounder's lived here all his life, and I owe him a lot." Sora glanced around. "Hopefully it won't be in Ursula's place…I _hate_ it in there."

"You mean there's a place creepier than this ship?"

Halloween Town and End of the World came to mind. "_Much_ creepier, both on this world and off."

Neku said nothing more on the subject. The two made their way down to the ocean floor, searching for any sign of their target. They didn't find any very easily, but the search continued. Sora was quickly growing impatient, not from annoyance but from anxiety. _If we don't find this before the others find out…_

_**Hey, it could be worse.**_

"Sora…"

"What is it, Neku? Find anything?"

"Um, actually…"

"The Shoalweed should be around here somewhere; don't worry, Flounder's a bit skittish but he's never wrong."

"_Behind you, Sora_!"

Sora spun around to be met with the face of a _very_ angry fish. Red eyes glared at him, rows of large, razor-sharp teethe bared. Sora swallowed nervously. "Hello, Chompers," he greeted the great, toothy beast nervously, his voice a bit more high pitched than he probably meant it to be.

_**Remember what I said earlier? Forget it. Things just got a **_**lot**_** worse.**_

The key bearer barely managed to dodge when the shark shot forward, snapping at him with his powerful jaws. Wasting no time, Sora dove to the side and powered his tail as quickly as he could go, Neku following not far behind. "Run!" he cried.

"Don't you mean swim?!"

"_Who cares_?!"

Even with a mermaid kick, Sora knew he wouldn't outswim the shark. The only option was to outwit it. Sora summoned the keyblade in his hand and shot a few shards of blizzard magic in the shark's face, stunning it long enough to wave Neku after him. "This way!"

They sped through a cavity in the wall. Had Sora been going through there casually, he would have known it was the way to Ursula's lair and he would have sped out quickly, but this time was different. It was either go somewhere creepy or end up dead, and he didn't particularly want to find out the hard way whether or not Atlantica had its own UG.

The shark was inches from their tails one second and yards away the next. Sora slowed to a halt and spun around, throwing a fist in the air…water…triumphantly and dismissed the keyblade. "_Yes_! Eat that, toothface!"

"I will never eat sushi again," Neku vowed almost silently, face still contorted with fear. "That was _way_ too close."

_**He calls **_**that**_** a close call?**_

_He hasn't been to the places we've been to, Roxas._

_**Good point.**_

Sora waved Neku to follow him again. "Come on. A little deeper in and we should be able to find what we're-"

"_There_ you are, Sora. I had a feeling you'd do something like this."

Sora winced, turning around and swallowing at what he saw. There was a merman behind him sporting a striped gray tail not unlike a tiger shark. The face belonging to the merman was all too familiar.

_**Sora, you are **_**so**_** busted.**_

_Shut up. You're not helping._

* * *

Aerith set a bowl of water down on the floor. Not two seconds after she stood, Bolt made his way over and began lapping up its contents contentedly. The woman sighed, taking a seat near Beat. "Is she doing well?"

Beat nodded. "If you mean nothin's changed, then yeah." He clenched his fists. "I promised that nothing would happen to her…what good I did."

"Don't say that," Aerith said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rhyme will be fine. Sora had his own trouble with Kairi."

"Like what?" Beat asked.

"Kairi lost her heart."

He fell silent. Kairi…that red-headed girl that hung out with Sora had lost her heart before? But judging from what Neku had explained to them after the mess with Xsoh, someone who lost their heart became a heartless, and for whatever reason, a nobody was also created. Roxas – the guy who tended to appear near Sora – was Sora's Nobody, but no one appeared near Kairi. Did she even have one? Was she even a heartless? Or…

His train of thought was interrupted when several thumps resounded on the door. Bolt ceased lapping up his water and looked up, ears pricking upright attentively. "Another one?" Aerith said calmly, standing and making her way over. "That's the second one this morning."

Beat heard her open the door, and two things happened. First, Bolt began to growl angrily. Second, Aerith gasped and attempted to close the door again when whoever was on the outside shoved it back open.

"You shouldn't be so _mean_, lady! I'm only coming to say hi!"

When Aerith finally managed to close the door, something bright slammed into it, demolishing it and sending Aerith skidding against the floor. Bolt stood his ground and bared his teeth while he growled even louder while Beat stood protectively over his sister.

A boy in a black cloak entered. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old, and had long, light blonde hair and a patch over one of his wide, childish eyes. He laughed, the false innocence in his voice infuriating Beat. "Man, it took a while to get past that ghost's magic, but I _hardly_ expected to have to get through _you_! Talk about a surprise!"

"I ain't got any idea what you're talkin' 'bout," Beat grumbled, "But you ain't gettin' Rhyme, yo!"

The boy grinned. "I hate to disappoint you, but we kinda need her right now." He held his hand forward, summoning a sphere of white-hot energy, and before Beat had a chance to even twitch it shot forward, sending him crashing into the wall. Beat struggled to retain his consciousness, desperately trying to regain footing, but his head was spinning. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the boy in black approaching the bed.

* * *

OH NOES! What could this mean? D:

Characters met:

Glut the Shark (_Kingdom Hearts/The Little Mermaid_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	18. Shoalweed

I just realized that this fic is going to be like, twice as long as Playing For Keeps. Maybe longer. Whoa.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Seventeen: Shoalweed**

* * *

_This can't be happening! How could he get past Beat, let alone my barrier?!_

_I don't know, and right now I really don't care. What matters is that we get Rhyme out of their hands before he hurts her!_

_Oh, they wouldn't _dare_. If I'm not wrong, they'll use her as bait._

_Figures._

_I've alerted the Traitor. He's going to get help in whatever way he can. That might not be entirely needed, though; I can feel something within the girl acting on its own._

_You know what it is?_

_Not at all, but it might be helping. Go find Neku. I'll see if I can wake up Beat._

_Got it._

* * *

Neku had received his own fair share of glares from Riku, but he had never experienced the boy's wrath. Now he was glad he didn't; Sora looked about ready to melt into a puddle of guilt.

"You could have been _killed_ for all we knew! What do you think you're trying to pull?!"

"Riku…" Sora began, but he bit his lip when the silver-haired boy continued.

"Ugh…I don't believe this. This isn't like you at _all_, Sora. Ever since you got back from Shibuya, you've been dodgy around us and you won't talk about why."

"I didn't want to-"

"You could have at _least_ told us beforehand that you were going alone!"

"But I-"

But Riku wouldn't have it. He was furious. "Kairi was worried _sick_ when she woke me up. She thought you had gone overboard or something. Honestly, Sora, going on your own is one thing, but-"

"_I'm not going to lose you again_!"

Sora's words echoed throughout the cavern, silencing everyone. Riku stared, his eyes wide in surprise. "Sora, we're not going anywhere. We're with you on this, but we're just worried…what's wrong with you?"

But the brunette didn't reply. He turned around and swam further down the tunnel, leaving Neku alone with Riku. Neku sighed, starting forward.

"Hold it, Sakuraba."

Riku had used his last name, Neku noticed. Wincing, he turned back around and crossed his arms. "What?"

"You've been hiding something from me, haven't you?"

Neku blinked. "Hiding? What are you talking about?"

"Sora didn't tell us everything about what happened in Shibuya," Riku explained, crossing his arms and starting forward to follow Sora. "He didn't talk about what the game was that he got drawn into and refused to talk about something called an entry fee. I know you were there with him because you were his partner for the game. There's a lot you're not telling me, and I'm not sure I can trust you until you do."

_So that's why he's been giving me those looks,_ Neku concluded, keeping his expression as stern as possible. "If you want to know about what happened to Sora in Shibuya, that's his place to tell you, not mine. Besides, we don't have time for that. The clock's ticking and I'm not going to keep Beat waiting for longer than he has to. Rhyme saved my life before, so it's time for me to return the favor."

For the first time since they met, Neku saw an expression of understanding on Riku's face as they swam forward. The silence wasn't broken until they caught up with Sora, whom had hovered quietly near the cavern entrance. Nothing was said, although Neku was sure Sora had been crying when they arrived; his eyes looked rather glossy.

"Shiki and Kairi went ahead," Riku stated, starting forward again. "They're probably in Ursula's chamber looking around by now."

Neku felt his cheeks get hot at the mention of Shiki for reasons unknown to him at the time. They pressed forward, past a very dark and uninviting tunnel (Sora shuddered harder than Neku did, and the ex-proxy figured that asking why wouldn't be a good idea) and into a much larger chamber, decorated with a small vanity set in one corner, a cabinet or two lodged in the wall, a large cauldron, and what was probably Ursula's bed. _This place isn't so bad once you get past the tunnels…_

_**Neku…**_

The boy would have tripped over his own feet if he had legs. "What the…?"

Sora glanced back, having sobered from his previous state. "Neku, what's wrong?"

"Didn't you hear that?"

_**Neku…**_

"Hear what?" Riku asked.

"Who's there?" Neku demanded.

_**Hurry…there is no time…**_

"Are you sure you're not just hearing things?" Sora suggested, his face filled with worry.

Neku shivered involuntarily. "Guys, We need to hurry. I just…something's wrong."

"Sora! Riku!"

The familiar face of Kairi, followed by a bright red fish's tail, swam up to them. Neku didn't remember which he noticed first: the fact that Sora was blushing furiously or that Shiki wasn't quite around at the moment. Neither worried him, although Sora's expression was perfect blackmail material right about now. "K-Kairi…"

The girl crossed her arms at Sora. "You could have at least left a note for us."

Sora looked away. "I'm _not_ losing you again. Ever."

Neku saw Kairi's expression soften and he quickly took a hint. Swimming to the other end of the room, he found Shiki sitting (if you could call that position sitting) at the vanity table flipping through a book, her own green tail twitching as she read aloud quietly.

"Shoalweed…a rare variety of kelp, but a potent ingredient in various medicines…the only known cure for resonance-related conditions, also a useful ingredient in several other remedial potions…"

"Shiki?"

The girl looked up, surprised. "Oh, Neku…you had us all worried."

Neku gave her a nervous smile. "It wasn't my idea…"

Shiki swam up a bit and crossed her arms. "Still, you could have at least said something. Did you find any shoalweed yet?"

"No," Neku replied. "We think Ursula might have had some, so we came in here."

Nodding approvingly, Shiki pushed herself out of her seat. "Kairi woke me up and said that you and Sora were gone. Even if it was his idea…I was still…"

"I wasn't going to put you in danger again," Neku insisted. "After what happened in the game, I'd never forgive myself if you ended up hurt."

"You're still blaming yourself for that?" Shiki said, smiling. "It's been at least a month since then, Neku. I'm fine now."

But Neku wasn't so sure. After that first week, he had come to be good friends with Shiki…maybe something more. Perhaps that was why she had been taken as his entry fee. Then again, maybe it was something else. When she became possessed by the red skull pin, he could hardly bring himself to fight back, leading to some serious injuries courtesy of Kitaniji. Even though it wasn't Shiki's true appearance, it wrought him to the very core to see her eyes so expressionless, that same silence coming from her like the rest of Shibuya. Even now, with her real form, he could remember how hard it had been…he remembered if he'd ever get the chance to tell her…to tell her something he still hadn't had the chance, or the courage, to say…

Shiki tilted her head. "Neku?"

His thoughts popped like a soap bubble. "Yeah?"

"Your face is red."

Neku immediately winced and tried to find something else to focus on. "Oh, erm, well, ah…" _Aw, cruuuud…_

Shiki rolled her eyes. "Geez, you find it so easy to insult Joshua all the time, but you can't even tell me why you're blushing?"

"I am _not_ blushing!"

"Then why is your face red?"

"Er…"

Noticing that the conversation was going in a direction that Neku was trying to avoid, Sora made his way over. "Come on, you two. We've got to find the Shoalweed for Rhyme."

Instantly sobered, Neku and Shiki swam toward the rest of the group as they exited the room and went through the tunnels, back to the sunken ship. Chompers, as Sora had so eloquently named the shark, was nowhere to be seen. Neku made for a nearby rowboat which was half-destroyed and half-buried in the sand, looking underneath it. There was a treasure chest that had been picked open, but there was nothing inside of it. When Sora swam by and heard Neku's explanation, he only grinned and kept looking.

Neku followed Sora into the sunken ship via the shattered window as they made their way below to search. It was only then that he could finally converse with Sora. "You shouldn't hide it from him."

Sora gave Neku an odd look. "Hide what from who?"

"The truth about the game…you haven't told Riku and Kairi yet, have you?"

The key bearer bit his lip and looked away, that same somber expression from his time in the game returning. "My entry fee…and what happened to me…I don't want them to know. I don't think I can handle telling them yet."

Neku somehow knew what Sora was referring to. Telling them wasn't the problem; it was dealing with their reactions. That's why anyone was ever afraid to tell anyone anything. What will they say? How will they react? Will their relationship be shattered, never to be mended again? He knew that feeling, he remembered that feeling…but he also knew that Sora felt it twofold, because if he died, so did Roxas.

He also knew something else. "You can't hide it forever Sora," he stated. "They have to know sooner or later. Besides, it wasn't as though you-"

_**Neku…**_

Sora blinked when Neku paused. "What?"

"That voice," Neku muttered. "Don't you hear it?"

"It's the same one from my dream," Neku explained hurriedly. "When I had that weird dream in Twilight Town, there was a voice guiding me. Why am I the only one that…"

Sora's expression changed. "Was it like…" he began, staring at the sand below them. "…like a voice that sorta came from everywhere, but you couldn't find it?"

_**You must hurry…**_

Neku nodded. "Yeah, like that. Why do you ask?"

"I heard it one time, too," Sora explained, beginning to swim out of the lower sector of the ruined vessel. "A dream I had, two years ago."

"Who do you think it is?" Neku asked.

Sora opened his mouth to reply and hesitated, crossing his arms. "I…actually, I don't know. I thought it might be the keyblade, but…I'm just not sure."

"Guys, over there!"

Everyone looked to where Shiki was pointing. There, waving silently and slowly in the water, was a small sprig of bright green seaweed. Neku swam close to it, noticing a metallic sheen on the leaf. He grinned. "I think we found our shoalweed."

* * *

"Is everything in place?"

Zarxilt grinned, dropping the unconscious Rhyme unceremoniously onto the ground next to the computer. "Yep. Once Neku comes crying for us to let Rhyme go, he'll be ours for the taking."

"The boy is smarter than that," Jaxuk pointed out. "I am quite certain that he won't take his friend back without a fight."

"That is true," Meyxours said, tugging his hood lower over his face. "However, Neku isn't the only one close to Rhyme. And Jaxuk, didn't you mention that Neku has…?"

"Yes, Lord Meyxours, though we are not sure if he has control over it yet."

"A strong heart is the main requirement to acquire such phenomenal power such as that of the keyblade," Naxeyv pointed out, his own shrowded visage sneering. "Although if that was not the reason, we must ascertain as to why else it selected him."

"The keyblade chooses its master," Jaxuk said, crossing his arms. "There are still many mysteries that even Ansem the Wise and the King himself do not know about. If the Chasers were still here, we probably would have had all the information we could have hoped for."

"We won't be needing that," Zarxilt assured them, grinning and glancing down at Rhyme's near-lifeless form dispassionately. "After all, you _know_ what we're going to be doing with her, right?"

"Ah, yes," Meyxours said. "The girl's innate power…"

Jaxuk smirked. "This should be a lovely performance. All we need are the leading actors."

"And then it'll be playtime for me," Zarxilt muttered, laughing childishly under his breath and grinning.

* * *

It was weird having legs again instead of a tail, but Neku found it easy enough to readjust. Sora had placed the shoalweed in a bottle that he had swiped from Ursula's cabinet. He had failed to remember that it was full of water and ended up splashing it around a bit upon entering, much to Chip and Dale's annoyance. Kairi nonchalantly switched off the portal. "Everyone ready to head back?"

"Not exactly," Neku replied, checking to make sure his headphones were still in one piece. "I wake up first thing in the morning, learn how to swim with a tail instead of legs, nearly get eaten by a shark…" He shrugged. "By the time this is over, I'm going to need a really long nap."

"You'll get all the naptime you want after we help Rhyme," Riku said.

Something in Neku twitched. "What about the Zoners?" He reminded the silver-haired boy. "I won't be able to rest until they stop coming after me."

Riku sighed. "Which they won't until they're gone," he added. "Looks like you're stuck for a while, Neku."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Neku shot back.

Seeing the argument approaching, Shiki quickly approached. "Enough, both of you. Bickering isn't going to get us anywhere. Rhyme needs our help."

Sora nodded, stepping in. "Shiki's right. We're supposed to fight the Zoners, not each other."

Neku made his way to his seat and sat down heavily from exhaustion. He had never been so tired in his life, and he was far from resting. Rhyme needed his help, there were a bunch of universal enemies bent on his capture, probably followed by either torture or something similar, which would be _certainly_ followed by death…or worse. The only way for him to get out was to keep fighting.

_**Neku…**_

He blinked. _What's going on?_ He thought. _Who's-_

_**Make haste…there is little time for explanations…**_

"Guys! We're getting a distress signal!"

Neku was jolted out of his thoughts when Kairi made her announcement. Riku immediately made for the control panel. "Where's it from?" he asked as he took his seat.

Kairi's eyes widened in horror. "Radiant Garden."

Sora swore loudly. "Chip! Dale! Get warp drive ready for headquarters, _NOW_!"

"Aye-aye, Sora!" Chip replied as the two got to work.

Meanwhile, everyone was already buckling themselves in. Neku ground his teeth together angrily. He could deal with the mysterious voice later; there were more important things to focus on right now.

* * *

...well. It's okay I guess. Next chapter is going to be so much fun! :3

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	19. Confrontations

In which their purpose for chasing Neku is revealed and Zarxilt isn't what he seems…

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Eighteen: Confrontations**

* * *

Bolt was angry. That man…the one with no scent…had barged in, hurt everyone in the room, and then proceeded to take the sick human girl away. And she had been so close to being cured, too. How could any human be so cruel?!

No, not a _human_. That boy was less than a human. What was the phrase his friend had once used? 'Creature of darkness' or something? No, that fit those heartless things better…but either way, that _thing_ was as good as scum.

He knew he had to get help. He sniffed the air, trying to find a strong trace of Rhyme's scent. He leapt onto the bed, finding an important piece that they had left behind: a large portion of black cloth that the girl had worn on her head. Grabbing it in his jaws, Bolt jumped down, giving another look to the human boy that had hardly left the bed. He was still alive and breathing. The kind woman was still near the door. She was okay, too. With grim determination, Bolt ran outside, jumping over the remains of the wooden door and heading as fast as he could for the marketplace.

Several white monsters appeared. He ignored them, instead choosing to outwit them. When several blocked his path, another person…no, not a _person_…in a black cloak appeared, demolishing them with a sudden burst of lightning. He spun to Bolt, his young face looking down on him urgently. "Hurry, boy. Go get help."

It was him! The scentless one that was helping them! Nodding and giving a muffled bark in compliance, Bolt continued forward.

* * *

"He has arrived, Zarxilt."

The shortest of the Zoners smirked, looking up at Naxeyv with his functional eye and checking to make sure that his other one was still covered by his eyepatch. "Do I get to toy with him a little before we bring him in?" he asked. "It's more fun that way."

Naxeyv nodded. "Yes, but remember to save most of it for after we're done with him. Then, you may play with him to your heart's content."

"We don't have hearts," Zarxilt reminded him, "But don't worry. We will, once this machine is up and running again." With that, he vanished into a dark portal.

* * *

The landing was rough, but Neku didn't care. He and Sora were at the lead of the pack as they tore through town, heading for the Restoration Committee's headquarters.

_**Hurry…**_

_I am! I am!_ Neku cried in his mind. He screeched to a halt, however, when he saw a little white figure approaching. He felt Sora next to him shift, ready to summon the keyblade, but then the figure came in view.

It was a dog, only roughly higher than his knee. Upright white ears were laid flat against his skull as he charged forward, a black lightning bolt mark on his back. The collar around his neck jingled with every step. What caught his attention, however, was the object in the dog's mouth: a black beanie, decorated with a small skull motif.

Neku knelt down as the dog halted in front of him and took the beanie. "This is Rhyme's," he nearly whispered.

"Do you know where Rhyme is, boy?" Sora asked the dog.

Barking in reply, the dog ran off toward the residential area. The group wasted no time in following him at a high pace. Neku nearly felt his heart stop, however, when he saw the entrance to the committee.

The door was shattered like fine glass. Even the metal hinges and the actual knob had been split into several pieces. Whatever had blasted that door apart couldn't have just been dynamite.

Sora was the first to react. His eyes went wide and he ran inside. When Neku caught up, what he found was even more shocking than the door itself.

Aerith had been knocked out, and she was lying on the ground near Cid's computer. In the back of the room was an overturned water bowl – probably for the dog – and Beat, whom had been thrown against the now-cracked wall. Rhyme's bed was empty.

_**Neku…**_

_Not now! Not now!_

Sora's face contorted into what could only be anger as he made his way for the unconscious skater. "Beat! Beat, wake up!"

It took a few shakes, but Beat's eyes finally cracked open. "Wha…" He muttered. "You guys…'bout time…"

"Where's Rhyme?" Sora asked, his voice darker than normal.

"Kid in a black coat took 'er," Beat replied, his voice hoarse. "Couldn't do anythin', yo…"

"He's in bad shape," Kairi said, biting her lip. "Took a serious hit…otherwise, he'll be fine."

"You sure about that?"

Everyone spun around just in time to see the darkness finish whirling around a familiar figure in black. Neku ground his teeth together as he recognized the sickeningly child-like face with the eye patch over one eye. The very same one he had encountered in Monstro. He scowled deeply, balling his hands into tight fists. The dog seemed to share his sentiment, and the growling commenced.

"Zarxilt," Sora snarled. "What did you do with Rhyme?"

"Oh, you mean the girl?" Zarxilt asked casually. "She's fine. We've got her a nice, safe spot in the Cavern of Remembrance…right next to Ansem's Computer."

"What are you going to do with her?" Neku demanded.

Zarxilt only rolled his eyes. "Geez, so pushy. We'll give her back to you as long as you help us out a little in the Cavern of Remembrance, promise."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Give it up. We can't start up that machine for you. Not even Cid knows how."

"I never said that's what we wanted," Zarxilt teased. "Just come to the Cavern if you want her back…_alive_."

"Rhyme never did anything to you!" Shiki cried angrily.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed. "So let her go!"

"That wouldn't be any fun at all," Zarxilt replied. "And no, Rhyme didn't do anything…but _you_ did."

Sora blinked. "Me…?"

Zarxilt giggled. "If you wanna find out, come to the Cavern of Remembrance. We'll tell you everything you wanna know…once you give us what we want." And with that, he vanished.

Riku swore loudly. "They're using her as live bait…what do we do?"

"We go after him," Neku replied automatically. "We did not go through all that just so the shoalweed could sit here and rot."

"I'll stay here," Kairi offered. "When Aerith wakes up I'll be helping her with Rhyme's remedy."

Sora nodded in approval. Meanwhile, Neku's gaze drifted to Shiki. "Can you…?"

"Forget it," Shiki replied. "I'm not staying here." She grabbed a nearby rod. "Besides, if anything comes at me, I can hit it with this."

Neku gave a nervous laugh. _That's a relief,_ he thought sarcastically.

Riku knelt down next to the white dog that had stayed near them and examined his nametag. "Bolt," he echoed. "Weird name."

Bolt growled in protest and Riku sighed. "All right, all right; sorry. Look, you stay here and keep the house safe. If any nobodies come here, feel free to chew off their limbs."

Barking compliantly, Bolt trotted next to the door and sat down. Sora whipped out the keyblade and turned to the other three with him. "Let's go."

Neku followed without a word.

* * *

_I sent word to the Traitor. He's on his way._

_About time. It looks like they're headed for the Cavern._

_Gonna go watch?_

_No, it's too dangerous. They're going to bargain with Neku. If he helps them, they'll give Rhyme back._

_And he's going to go with that? I seriously doubt it._

_I doubt it, too. Still, Neku's a very clever boy…_

* * *

There were some heartless in the Cavern of Remembrance, but Sora had no trouble swatting them away. Riku didn't even need to draw a weapon; Remembered Dream was doing all the work. Neku gave the entire cave a wary look as they shot through, and Sora bit his lip again; Neku's keyblade (if that's really what it had been) had not appeared since the encounter in Monstro. There was no time to wonder why as he approached the whitened halls of the cavern, pushing through several dusks that began to appear and assault them.

When they arrived in the computer room, they found Zarxilt and another of the Zoners standing by. Sitting on the ground nearby, eyes open and devoid of emotion, was Rhyme. Sora choked; he had seen that look before when Kairi had been without a heart.

Zarxilt grinned. "See, Lord Meyxours? I toldja I could get him over here."

"Most impressive," Meyxours replied, keeping his hood low. "Your abilities never cease to amaze me."

"Hold it," Sora began. "You're the leader?"

Meyxours barely paid any notice to them and vanished into a dark portal. "Hmph. Proceed with the plan, Zarxilt."

Waiting until his leader was out of sight, Zarxilt returned his attention to the group. "You have questions right? You don't have to tell me what they are…" He closed his eye, holding the palm of his hand forward. A high-pitched sound echoed in Sora's ears, loud enough to annoy but silent enough not to hurt. When it faded, Zarxilt had opened his eye again and his arms crossed. "You still don't know why we want this computer, huh?" He said. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Would we wonder why if we knew?" Riku retorted calmly.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Zarxilt turned around. "This computer hosts a number of perfect data replicas from Organization XIII. Meyxours wants to revive the Organization, see..."

"Why would he want to revive the Organization?" Shiki asked.

Zarxilt rolled his eye. "Well, _duh_. Universal domination with their help is my guess. He won't tell us. Trust me though, we don't want our hearts back. They just get in the way of what's really important. Problem is, we can't start this thing up without a power source. That's why we've been looking for Neku."

"Why does that have anything to do with me?" Neku asked firmly.

Zarxilt giggled. "Man, you're _so_ slow! We were after you because _you_ have the power we need to crank up the computer and revive the data!"

Neku's eyes widened. "Wha…you mean _I'm_ the power source?"

_No way!_ Sora cried out in his mind. _So all this time, the answer was right in front of us?!_

_**I don't like where this is going.**  
_

"Yep!" Zarxilt replied proudly. "One great big living battery. You had enough Imagination to wipe out several powerful reapers on your world, and you've got a strong enough heart to wield a keyblade. Man, it was _so_ much easier when ol' Ventus unlocked your heart. Now we can access that power without having to hi-jack you."

"_You_…" Neku snarled, fists tightening. "You were going to use me all along! I knew it!"

"Oh, _man_! Your face is so priceless, Neku!" Zarxilt laughed again.

"Who's Ventus?" Sora asked. _And why is that name so familiar?_

"If that's all your questions," Zarxilt began, ignoring Sora's inquiry, "It's time for you to get to work. Then you can have your friend back."

Sora gave Neku a pleading look, but the proxy ignored him, eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said. "I'll help you."

_What?! _"Neku, don't!" Sora cried. "If you help them, they'll-"

"You always were too nice for your own good, Sora," Neku replied, cutting Sora off. "I'm getting Rhyme back no matter what it takes. Besides, you need to get a reality check. You let your heart get in your way too much. These guys don't."

_What the?! He can't-!_

Riku grit his teeth. "You son of a-"

Shiki gasped. "Neku! Why? I thought you-"

"Shut your face," Neku interrupted. "Didn't I tell you before? Friends are nothing but extra baggage. They pretend to care, and then they throw you away. Now I see what point Xsoh was making in the UG." With that, he strode forward.

_That little…_

_**Hang on, Sora. Something's not right.**_

_Duh! You think? Neku's just turned traitor on us!_

_**But he's not like this. He'd **_**never_ let the enemy use him._**

_Yeah, right! Look at him now!  
_

Zarxilt's face lit up with a smile. "Well, step on up. I'm sure you'll know how to start this thing."

Shiki was shocked, having fallen to her knees. Riku began to charge forward angrily, only for Zarxilt to thrust his palm in the group's direction, separating them with an enormous, transparent barrier. Riku fell back, his nose bleeding from the sudden impact, and sneered at Neku. "Little…"

Sora stood still, watching helplessly as Neku placed a hand on the computer's monitor. The machine revved to life. As it did, thirteen large objects strongly resembling upright coffins appeared circling the area. Neku barely noticed, his fingers brushing several buttons and making selections. His face was blank. "I'll pull up only one at first to see how much it takes out of me," he said. "That fine with you?"

Zarxilt nodded. "Go ahead. Don't break yourself."

With a nod, there were a few more blips before Neku pressed both of his hands to the screen. All at once, an electric current engulfed the proxy's entire body, channeling into the computer and causing a high-pitched whine to emit from it. One of the coffins began to pulse with light, growing brighter and brighter. Neku screamed as his energy was channeled into the machine, and when it finally finished he slumped to the ground.

Steam hissed out of the coffin as the door opened. A tall, hooded figure stepped out quietly, glancing over the room. Excited, Zarxilt flew up to him. "Finally! This is _so_ exciting, getting to meet a real Organization member! Well, not real, just a replica, but a _perfect_ replica, so it's just like it! Man, I can already _taste_ victory! So, Neku, who'd you pick?"

Neku didn't respond. He pushed himself to his feet, crossed his arms, and said nothing.

Zarxilt must have decided that Neku was too tired to reply and went back to the man. "So, you wanna tell me your name? The other Zoners will be pretty happy to meet – _hey_!"

The cloaked man had swatted Zarxilt away with one hand, causing the boy to hover in the air over the computer. The replica stood his ground, arms at his sides as the shorter nobody gritted his teeth. "What gives? I thought…" He turned to Neku. "You! What did you do? The Organization should be kindred to the Zoners! You screwed up the data, didn't you?!"

"Nope," Neku replied. "The data is one hundred percent intact."

"Then what went wrong?!" Zarxilt demanded. "What happened?"

Neku grinned knowingly. "You said so yourself, didn't you?" He explained. "This computer hosts perfect data replicas of each and every member of Organization XIII, including their appearance, their powers, and most importantly…their _disposition_."

Zarxilt grunted angrily. "What're you getting at?!"

"It means I'm not about to follow orders from a bunch of Organization wanna-bes like you," the cloaked figure replied, pulling back his hood and grinning. Lengthy red hair fell over his shoulders, teal green eyes stared out at everyone in the room as he smirked. "Got it _memorized_?"

Sora's eyes lit up in realization. "Axel!" he cried. _I knew it! He wasn't betraying us after all!_ Shiki must have shared his sentiment twofold, because tears were falling from her eyes as a smile climbed up her face.

Riku blinked. "Wow. Nice move there, Neku."

Neku grinned. "You didn't _really_ think I was going to betray you, did you?"

"I can't believe you!" Zarxilt screamed angrily. "You tricked me! You…you…why couldn't I read you?!"

Axel wasted no time in summoning his chakrams in a burst of flame, hurling them at the barrier and shattering it. "Time's up for you, kiddo. You _and_ your little friends."

"That's right!"

From above, another cloaked figure – one whom Sora instantly recognized as the traitor – fell from over the edge of the rising falls, slamming into Zarxilt and pinning him to the ground. Then, in one swift movement, he tore away Zarxilt's eye patch with a clearly audible ripping sound and leapt away, leaving the nobody to scream in agony and clutch his eye. "Playtime's over, Zarxilt," The traitor mocked.

Zarxilt looked up, hovering in the air with his posture hunched over. His hands gradually drifted away from where his missing eye was supposed to be. Sora was horrified by what he saw: instead of a dead eye or even an empty socket, there was a light red crystal pulsing a pale light, several sections of skin melted into several grooves where it had apparently shattered once. The glowing aura around the eye began to form around the rest of Zarxilt's body, the one around the eye remaining the most intense, and his hands glowed with a pale yellow energy.

Sora swallowed hard, not sure whether to feel nauseated or terrified. _No way…that's not even an eye!_

"And now he shows his true nature," the Traitor commented, clenching his fists.

"Meddlesome traitor!" Zarxilt roared, his childish appearance betraying his rage. "I _created_ you; I can just as easily _dispose_ of you!"

* * *

I liked this chapter...then I didn't. Then I did, then I didn't. The decided to delay it's release a bit. The little turd. Oh, well. He's cooperating now. n.n

Characters met/mentioned:

Axel (replica) (_Kingdom Hearts_)  
Ventus? (_Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	20. The Fallen Prince

BATTLE SEQUENCE AHOY!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Nineteen: The Fallen Prince**

* * *

Aerith had woken up fifteen minutes after the group had left. Kairi hadn't had an easy time filling her in, but the woman remained surprisingly calm throughout the ordeal.

"So the boys and Shiki went after Zarxilt," Aerith said as she closed the jar containing the shoalweed. "I see…"

"They'll be fine," Kairi assured Aerith. "Riku and Sora went up against Xemnas before, and Neku is strong in his own way. Don't worry."

Nodding, Aerith placed a cork in a small phial that she had been pouring a thick, murky green substance into and placed it in a small pouch. "I can't help but be concerned, I guess," She said.

Kairi bit her lip. The way Aerith spoke, and the expression on her face…there was an uncertainty that she recognized all too well.

Aerith knelt down in front of the white dog that had remained with them and handed him the pouch. "Bolt, I need you to do something very important for me. Take this to the boys that came by here earlier, and don't let anyone else take it from you."

Bolt gave a low woof and took off out the door at a high pace, the package in his jaws.

* * *

Neku swallowed hard. He knew he should have expected Zarxilt to act so malevolent, that the childish behavior was only a façade, but it still startled him into near paralysis. He clenched his fists, backing away a few steps. Sora, meanwhile, had Remembered Dream ready in his hand, and Riku's own keyblade had already made itself known. Shiki, meanwhile, had the rod in her hand held battle-ready, but she didn't look sure of herself enough to use it. Axel had his chakrams in his hands ready for the throwing, and the Traitor had no weapon, simply standing his ground.

"Do you truly believe that six of you can take me down?" Zarxilt taunted, grinning maliciously. "This won't be much of a fair fight."

"Who said we were fighting fair?" Neku shot back, though inwardly he was nervous. _I can't fight! I don't have a weapon-_

_**Call out…to your heart…**_

_The voice again…?_

There was no time to comprehend. A wave of raw energy raced his way, and Neku jumped out of the way just in time for a crystal javelin to impale the wall. Now was not a good time to be unarmed. Zarxilt was preparing another strike when a pair of flaming chakrams hurled his way, missing by inches, followed by two blackened fireballs and Sora readying an overhead strike. All were easily dodged.

Neku made his way toward Rhyme, doing his best to shove the chaos of the battle out of his focus. She couldn't stay here. He had to get her somewhere safer, somewhere where she wouldn't be hurt.

_**Neku…**_

"Who are you?!" He cried, not bothering to care if attention was shifted.

_**Don't be afraid…**_

_Afraid of what?_ Neku silently retorted as he glanced back at the battle, noting that Zarxilt was making things difficult for his friends. He had to hurry. Picking up Rhyme, he headed for the wall and placed her gently down. He had to finish this, fast.

_**The power within you…**_

Of course. That keyblade…but how was Neku supposed to call on it? He'd seen it show up out of nowhere for Sora, no technique necessary. Perhaps all it took was a thought…

With that in mind, Neku let out an enraged cry, running forward at a nearly inhuman pace. He leapt high into the air, fingers curling around a hilt that wove its way into existence. As the end of the weapon materialized, it struck Zarxilt on the shoulder, causing the nobody to scream and turn, his crystal eye flaring with an angry light. "How…how do you have a keyblade?!"

"I'm surprised you don't know about that," the Traitor remarked.

Zarxilt let out an angry cry and sent a burst of energy toward Neku, whom easily parried it and sent it hurling right back at him. Hit with his own blow, Zarxilt fell downward in the air, leaving himself prone to attack. Surprisingly, the hit didn't come from Neku, Sora or even Axel. Shiki made her way forward and smashed her rod over the boy's head. The weapon snapped in half upon impact.

"Wow," Sora managed to say. "Nice one, Shiki."

The seamstress grinned victoriously, but gave a lamented look to her now-destroyed weapon. "Well, I tried," she said.

Quickly recovering from the blow, Zarxilt tore upward into the air. "Foolish mortals. With only a single command I can read your every thought! Do you really believe that a pitiful light will save you?!"

Sora grit his teeth and had only taken a single step when a stinging sound like the one from before flooded everyone's ears. Neku clamped his hands to his ears, sinking to his knees along with everyone else, but the sound didn't stop. He cracked one eye open just in time to see Zarxilt rush forward and pin him against the wall, his arms forced to his sides and his legs immobile. "Let go!" He cried.

"I don't believe I will," Zarxilt replied, grinning and summoning another crystalline javelin. "Why don't we take a look at your memories before I finish you off?"

The sound increased in volume rapidly. Neku was about to scream when the high-pitched whine was replaced by a soft tune that he recognized all too well. He had heard it when he was traversing the UG with his friends less than a month ago, and again when Sora had also participated in the Reaper's Game. A soft background sound to the chaos about him. He saw Sora on his knees clutching his skull, and Riku in a similar position, only barely maintaining a stance. Shiki was writhing on the ground. Axel seemed unaffected for the most part, but the noise was clearly giving him a strong migraine. The traitor was trembling, hands on where his ears probably where. They were still hearing that pinging noise, but Neku wasn't. He blinked. _Why…how is it that…_

Zarxilt glared angrily as the javelin in his hands shattered. "Why?!" He cried as he continued to press Neku against the wall, desperate to pry out what he wanted. "Why can't I read you?!"

Neku finally understood. Zarxilt had been referring to reading his mind and his thoughts. He sent a stray glance to the keychain dangling off the hilt of the keyblade. Perhaps the keyblade's power was shielding his mind just like the player pins had?

_**The Music of Shibuya…remains with you…**_

The former proxy looked down at his keyblade and smiled. _Music of Shibuya. Of course._

Taking initiative, Neku leapt forward and struck Zarxilt from the air. At once the others shook out of their pained state, still dazed but no longer under the influence of Zarxilt's malicious telepathy.

Riku recovered first. He raced forward, hurling numerous dark fireballs from his hand before performing a slash with his keyblade, managing to knock Zarxilt back. The nobody countered with a blast of white-hot energy, knocking Riku down but thankfully not causing major injury. Axel hurled both chakrams forward, the flames catching on Zarxilt's cloak. Sora hurled the keyblade through the air, slamming it into Zarxilt's chest and knocking him to the ground. Neku began to approach, his own keyblade brandished, only to be met by a sudden burst of blue light. He found himself once again crashing into the wall, and moments later a burst of pain in his shoulder accompanied it. When the light dimmed to a manageable level, he found a familiar crystal spear impaling him, and he didn't need to check to know that it went all the way through and into the wall. His feet dangled helplessly, and though he was lucky that his sword arm wasn't the one suffering, his grip on the keyblade barely held.

"For someone so powerful," Zarxilt taunted, "You sure look helpless, dangling there. Perhaps I should put you out of your misery."

Neku winced. _I can't let this end here…I won't…_

Zarxilt left his victim hanging from the wall via the spear and returned his attention to the others. Neku felt his eyes rolling up in his head but grit his teeth and clamped a hand onto the crystal weapon, his hand burning on contact and causing him to scream in pain.

Footsteps caught Neku's attention and he saw the Traitor approaching and escaping notice of the enemy. Though his entire face still couldn't be seen, Neku could make out the fact that the Traitor was heavily distressed at the sight of Neku being literally pinned to the wall. Leaping up and grabbing the javelin, the Traitor grit his teeth and grunted as he dragged it out of its place, slowly at first until it came out with a sharp, fast tug. Neku crumbled to the ground, the Traitor landing next to him. "You okay, Neku?"

"Do I look okay?" Neku replied, his vision beginning to blur.

The Traitor nodded. "Sora! Over here!"

Even over the chaos, the brunette heard the Traitor's call and cried out a few unintelligible words. A familiar green aura surrounded Neku for a brief moment and the pain ebbed down, his skin knitting itself back together. The blood loss, however, could not be repaired, and Neku found it hard to stand.

Ignoring his fatigue, Neku stood again, his hands gripping his keyblade. With a scream of rage, he ran forward, stabbing forward toward Zarxilt's already battered form. The end of his weapon protruded out the other side of the nobody's chest. Sneering in anger, Neku twisted the keyblade around a bit before jerking it back out, ignoring his enemy's scream.

Zarxilt slumped to the ground. "No…I cannot allow it to end like this! You are all weak! Pathetic mortals! You cannot…you…"

"Actually we can," the Traitor snarled. "Playtime's over, Eald'narche."

With one last scream, Zarxilt's crystal eye shattered, and the aura around him darkened as his body faded into nothing. The scream continued for seconds more before silence overtook the computer room again, the only other sound being the rising waterfall.

The keyblade in Neku's hand faded. He stumbled a bit, the adrenalin rush ending, but managed to stay on his feet. _It was almost like…like when we beat Xsoh…_

"Is he gone?" Shiki asked.

"He'd better be," Axel grumbled. "Kid was more obnoxious than a three-year-old." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small phial of bright green liquid, tossing it to Neku. "Here. Drink it."

Neku caught the bottle deftly, eyeing it with suspicion before shrugging and uncorking it, taking a sip of its contents. He winced at first; the taste of whatever was in there was rather acidic, reminding him of the awful stuff his mother used to give him when he was home sick from grade school. Whatever the substance was in the phial, it must have done its job; Neku felt his energy returning. With a harsh swallow, he shot the redhead a thankful (though slightly disgusted) look. "Thanks."

Axel shrugged. "Just repaying the favor."

Re-corking the bottle and stuffing it in his pocket, Neku turned to Sora, whom had a strange look in his eyes. The brunette's gaze was locked onto Axel in wonder, and it was hard to tell if he was about to scream, laugh, cry, or just keep standing there silently. Riku placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You okay, Sora?"

Sora nodded quietly. "I'm fine. It's just…"

"Roxas?"

"Yeah."

Shiki looked at the traitor curiously. "By the way…why'd you call him Eald'narche?"

The Traitor looked away before beginning to speak. "Before he became a Nobody, Zarxilt was known as Eald'narche, the Zilart Prince. A magic experiment froze his body from aging when he was young, and one of his eyes, well…you saw it."

"So _that's_ why he looks that way," Riku commented, his expression hard to discern.

"He and his people were looking for an immense power," the Traitor continued. "They wouldn't stop until they had it, and after a massive explosion, they were almost entirely wiped out. The survivors were sent into comas, waking up several hundred years later. Eald'narche woke up as power-hungry as he was before, but when he tried for that power again, he was interrupted, and…"

Sora swallowed. "He became a heartless, didn't he?"

The Traitor nodded. "Yep. His Nobody was created too, and he joined the Zoners. He's still the same though…intelligent, manipulative, and _apathetic_. I heard he only watched as his brother died."

"What about you?" Shiki asked. "You helped us, and we don't even know what your name is."

Riku nodded. "Shiki's right. Traitor isn't exactly a wonderful name to call someone, whether you're on our side or not."

The traitor sighed. "I suppose I owe you that much." He pulled back his hood.

Sora's eyes went wide and Riku's jaw dropped. Shiki stepped back a bit, and of course there wasn't much reaction from Axel, whom had only recently arrived on the scene. Neku, on the other hand nearly collapsed in shock when he saw what the Traitor's face looked like.

He saw it whenever he looked in a mirror.

* * *

Those of you that guessed Eald'narche for Zarxilt were correct! Making an anagram of "Eald'narche" was a bit tough for me, so I picked his race instead. Also, I don't think I've ever written a battle sequence quite that long before (that wasn't chapter-split). Wow.

Also, the traitor's face has been revealed! But who is he really? Is he a nobody? A heartless? Something else? And why does he look like...?

That answer and more, coming next chapter!

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	21. Explanations

Oh, man. I got better reactions out of last chapter of _this_ fic than I did out of chapter eleven of _More Than A Legend_. XD I had you guys stumped, huh?

Anyway. Stuff is explained in this chapter, so you guys won't be left hanging anymore…for now. Spot a reference to Demyx Time and you win a cookie.

Quick shout-out to two of my reviewers, one of which is going to closing night tonight of his/her performance and the other of which is going to Japan tomorrow! Good luck to both of you!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty: Explanations**

* * *

Sora gawked, not sure whether to look more at Neku or at his look-alike. Axel was the only one who didn't seem all that surprised, but his eyes did widen. Neku was the first to speak. "Why am I looking at myself?" He said in near deadpan.

"This isn't possible," Riku exclaimed. "There can't be two Nekus!"

"And Neku was never a heartless," Sora added. "Who…who _are_ you?"

The boy looked away. "My name is Xenuk. I'm a mammet created by Zarxilt."

"A mammet?" Shiki echoed.

"It's a fancy way of saying 'puppet'," Xenuk replied, his face twisting in disgust. "I was supposed to be replica of Neku so that the Zoners could carry out their plan without having to track him down. They sent Xsoh to gauge Neku's power in the Reaper's Game by using Minamimoto's heartless."

"So why didn't they use you?" Riku asked. "Why'd they go after Neku instead?"

"I don't have a real heart," Xenuk explained, "So I'm technically a nobody. A heart is what holds _real_ power, and since mine isn't the real thing, I don't have the same strength as Neku. What we _do_ share is a downright hatred of being used. Even if they could use me, I'd probably revolt like Neku would have."

"And you did," Axel said. "What're you going to do now?"

Xenuk shrugged. "Not much I _can_ do. I'm still the Traitor. What I'm worried about is you, Neku."

Neku blinked. "Me? What for?"

"Now that you've proven you're not the energy source they need," Xenuk began to explain, "_And_ since you got rid of Zarxilt, The Zoners will want to kill you."

The words were a shock to everyone. "Kill me?!" Neku exclaimed.

"Yep," Xenuk replied. "Though, I have to admit…you've got to have a crapload of power in you to be able to revive a replica like Axel. Aside from Xemnas, only Roxas was more powerful than him."

Axel looked away briefly.

"You're lucky that Ventus decided to unlock you," Xenuk continued, "Otherwise Meyxours would have had to hijack your power out of you, and it wouldn't have been pretty."

"How were they planning to 'hijack' me, anyway?" Neku asked.

Xenuk glanced at Rhyme. "They were going to use her."

Sora blinked. "Rhyme? What does Rhyme have to do with all this?"

"Search me," Xenuk said. "They think she's got the power to see into people's hearts or something along those lines. I'm not sure myself; all we know is that there's something special about her."

"Otherwise she wouldn't have survived the resonance," Riku said, echoing Aerith's message to them. "A normal person would die."

"Speaking of which," Neku said, crossing his arms. "Sora, why haven't you told them?"

Sora froze. He knew what Neku was referring to, but he absolutely refused to believe it. He rubbed his neck innocently. "Erm, told who what?"

Neku wasn't amused. "Riku and Kairi. The Reaper's Game. Your _entry fee_."

"So you _were_ hiding something important," Riku grumbled, crossing his arms.

_**No use hiding it anymore, Sora.**_

_Figures._ Sora sighed. "I didn't want to tell you before because-"

He was interrupted when a familiar white figure charged into the room, skidding to a halt in front of them. Recognizing it as Bolt, Sora knelt down. "Hey, boy. What're you doing here?"

"He's got something in his mouth," Shiki pointed out.

Sora's gaze turned to the pouch that was clutched in Bolt's mouth. He removed it, opening it and pulling out a small phial. "What's this?" he asked.

As though to answer, Bolt sprinted over to Rhyme's comatose form and barked. It pained Sora to look at the girl – he had more than clearly remembered how it was to look at Kairi when her heart was not with her – but he did anyway, and glanced at the bottle.

"Rhyme's remedy, maybe?" Shiki suggested.

"Guess so," Sora replied, striding up to the girl and kneeling down. "Looks like it's time for me to repay the favor."

"Repay what favor?" Riku asked.

Neku glanced at Riku only briefly. "Rhyme saved Sora's life in Shibuya," he said. "Well…sort of. Sora's just doing the same for her, right?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah." He swallowed nervously, not sure how to go about doing this. After all, when Rhyme had saved him, he was lying on a couch. This room had no couch to be seen. The only way he could get Rhyme in a suitable position was to hold her head in one arm…or in his lap.

_**Oh, for Walt's sake, Sora. Even Demyx was better with girls.**_

_Quiet, you._

Luckily, Roxas was the only one that even bothered to tease Sora about his clumsiness. He set Rhyme into a lying down position and rested her head in his lap while he pulled the cork out of the phial. Then, holding the girl's head in one arm, he pried her mouth open and poured the contents of the glass into her mouth with his free hand.

The moments of quiet seemed to take hours to pass, but finally Sora saw a reaction from Rhyme. Her eyes twitched, ever so slightly, and then they opened, no longer blank like they were before. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out for a good five minutes before she finally said, "…Sora?"

Sora couldn't stop himself; he pulled Rhyme into a close hug. "You're okay," he muttered. "You're okay…"

_**Whoa, slow down, Sora. You sure you're not overreacting?**_

He barely heard Roxas. Tears were streaming down his face. _If it wasn't for Rhyme I wouldn't be here right now,_ he remembered. _And neither would anyone else…_

They finally pulled away, and Rhyme gave Sora an awkward smile before looking away, blushing. "Sora…?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Feeling his own face flush red, Sora stood. "Come on. Let's get back to headquarters."

* * *

"Zarxilt has been eliminated."

Meyxours crossed his arms. "I see. Have you anything else to report?"

Naxeyv nodded. "Yes. It seems that Neku also refuses to oblige. He managed to circumvent Zarxilt's telepathy and awaken Axel's replica. What's more, they have managed to revive the girl."

"As expected. It seems that we underestimated Neku's cunning. We will have to turn to our other power source."

"I must protest, Lord Meyxours," Jaxuk said. "You know that it has a strong connection to-"

"I am aware," Meyxours interrupted. "And it will call them to it if it is in danger. That is why we will eliminate them first."

"How, sir?"

"Simple. We lure them. After all, the savior of worlds can never abandon his duty, and that will ultimately be his downfall…"

Jaxuk grinned, pushing a strand of silver hair behind one of his ears. "So, who is to take the opening act of this performance?"

* * *

To say that Beat was ecstatic to see his sister awake again was a vast understatement. Half of what he said was highly unintelligible, but Rhyme seemed to be able to make sense of it all and was constantly reassuring her brother that yes, she was indeed real. Bolt was just as happy as Beat must have been, because he didn't hesitate to jump in when the hugging started.

"It's good to see you awake," Aerith said.

Rhyme, having finally been released from her brother's arms, smiled. "Thanks, Miss…um…"

Aerith took a moment to realize why Rhyme was hesitating. "Oh, yes…I never introduced myself. I'm Aerith. I've been taking care of you while you were asleep."

"Yeah," Rhyme replied, nodding. "I saw you a few times when I tried to wake up but I never got your name. Thanks, Aerith."

"We're just glad you're alright," Kairi added.

Nodding in agreement, Rhyme looked around curiously. "Where's the other girl?"

"Other girl?" Shiki echoed. "No one else has been here."

"Unless you mean Yuffie," Riku pointed out.

"Or Tifa," Sora added offhand. "Was anyone else in here, Aerith?"

Aerith shook her head. "No. Yuffie would come in from time to time to make sure nothing happened when I had to check things in the castle, but other than that…"

Rhyme looked disappointed all of the sudden. "But I heard this other girl," she said. "In the white place."

"White place?" Sora echoed. _What does she mean, white place?_

The door opened and Leon walked in, dragging a very reluctant Xenuk by the ear, Axel following behind with a disgruntled yet guilty look on his face. "You guys mind telling me what these two are doing sitting outside headquarters?"

"Will you let go already?" Xenuk protested. "That _hurts_!"

"Axel!" Aerith cried. "But I thought he was-"

"Dead," the Axel replica replied. "Yeah. I know."

Leon finally released his grip on Xenuk, causing the traitor to stumble a bit before righting himself. He rubbed his ear and grimaced, giving Leon a glare. Sora saw Neku rub his own ear subconsciously before quickly pulling his hand back down at his side. The group left Beat and Rhyme to themselves and approached. "I'm pretty sure some explanations are in order," Leon stated. "Anyone care to fill us in?"

The group told Leon and Aerith what all had happened: what was contained in the computer, why the Zoners had been after Neku, and the battle with Zarxilt. Every now and then someone would divulge a few details that they had managed to pick up. The explanation for Axel and Xenuk came last, and was the hardest to get out. When Neku explained that he had revived Axel because he knew he'd be against the Zoners, Leon gave Neku an interesting look (Sora could tell he was impressed, but no one else had enough experience with the man to discern such a thing from him). Xenuk, however, was much harder to explain.

"A puppet created by Zarxilt?" Aerith questioned.

Xenuk nodded. "Yeah. I didn't have a real heart though, so they couldn't use me as a power source."

"But what do you mean by real heart?" Leon questioned. "Is there even such thing as a fake heart?"

Kairi's eyes softened. "I think they couldn't use Xenuk because he didn't have Neku's memories."

Sora blinked, knowing that it wasn't Kairi that had come to that conclusion. "Nami…?"

Nodding, Kairi continued. "Memories are one of the key components to any heart. If a heart loses all of its memories, it collapses. But the moment a heart is born, it begins gaining memories."

Riku crossed his arms. "I get it. Xenuk didn't have Neku's memories, so he didn't have Neku's power. That way, the Zoners couldn't use him."

Kairi nodded. "I think that's it."

"But there's more to a heart than just memories," Xenuk pointed out. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that it was more than just Neku's heart that gave him what they wanted."

"And now they can't have it," Neku added, looking away. "So they want me dead. Again."

"Again?" Leon echoed. "What do you mean?"

Neku turned his gaze to Sora. "I think you'd better get to explaining, Sora. You owe your friends the truth, anyway."

Sora bit his lip. He knew it had to come out sooner or later. "Riku, Kairi…I didn't want to tell you before, but in the Reaper's Game…in Shibuya…"

Neku looked away, while Riku and Kairi stared at Sora with concern. "Go on," the girl urged him.

"In Shibuya," Sora continued. "I…I died."

The silence was sickeningly loud. Leon and Aerith remained silent, having already known the fact, but Riku and Kairi were at a different loss for words. "How…?" Kairi began when she found her voice again. "But you're not dead. How could you have died?"

"The Reaper's Game was meant for those who died in Shibuya to test their worth and come back to life," Sora explained. "It's held in a sort of alternate Shibuya called the UG. In there, I could see everything in the real Shibuya, but they couldn't see me unless I went into shops or other stuff. There were heartless in the UG, and, well…"

"So you killed yourself?" Riku said, anger rising on his face. "Sora, you-"

"No," Neku interrupted. "The composer of the game did it."

"The leader?" Kairi wondered. "But why-"

"Shibuya treats death very differently," Neku continued. "When you die, you're not gone for good. You go to the UG to see if you're worth bringing back to life. It's only if you lose the Reaper's Game that you never see life again."

Sora nodded. "There was this guy called Sho Minamimoto…he was turned into a heartless, and there were a bunch of other heartless in the UG. The composer threatened to kill me, probably hoping it would give the guy second thoughts. It didn't, so I was sent to the UG and I partnered up with Neku to take down the heartless there. At first, I thought I had only passed out or something. It wasn't until the third day or so that I actually knew that I was dead."

"But you came back," Kairi stated. "Does that mean you won?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "The composer knew I had the keyblade, so he sort of brought me in on a special order or something. On the last day, we took on Minamimoto and his Nobody, Xsoh."

"Xsoh," Riku echoed. "Wasn't he one of the Zoners?"

"He was," Neku said, recalling what they had been told before. "It wasn't easy taking him down. I thought we'd never make it out of there, even after we beat him. Sora used up the last of his energy to make sure I made it."

Riku chuckled humorlessly. "Why am I not surprised?"

Sora's looked away sheepishly.

"I remember all that," Shiki said. "You had blood all over you…I thought you'd never make it. Rhyme was the one that saved Sora from fading."

Hearing this, Riku turned to Rhyme, whom looked away shyly. "So that's what favor you were repaying."

"I still don't get it," Kairi said. "What about this entry fee thing? Sora always got all upset whenever we mentioned it."

"To get into the Reaper's Game you have to give up an entry fee," Neku explained. "Usually it's what's most important to you. You get it back if you win. If you lose, you not only lose your entry fee forever, but you usually don't come back to life." He turned to Rhyme. "Rhyme was erased at one point in the game, but Mr. H revived, even though she'd never get her entry fee back."

"What was your entry fee, Sora?" Riku asked.

Sora shut his eyes tightly in hopes of avoiding the tears, but it didn't work as well as he hoped. "…you were."

"_People_ can be entry fees?!" Riku cried.

"Yeah," Neku replied. "For Sora, his closest friends – including you two – were his entry fee. If he had lost the Reaper's Game, you'd all be gone forever, even if Sora was revived."

Kairi's eyes glossed over. Sora knew what she was thinking. He had barely been able to keep up his usual cheer when he had found out that they had gone missing, but it was that fact alone that kept pushing him forward.

A blip on the computer caught everyone's attention. Leon hurried over and checked the screen, wincing at what he saw. "Sora, you're not going to like this."

"What's up?" Sora asked.

"There are strong nobody signals all over the place. They're even at the King's castle."

"Holy…"

_**Not good.**_

_You said it._

"Sounds like we'd better get moving." Riku turned to Axel and Xenuk. "What're you two going to do?"

Xenuk shook his head. "Not much I _can_ do. For now, it'd probably be best if I stayed here in Hollow Bastion and lay low for a while. I'd like to help figure out that computer and see if there's another way to stop the Zoners, too."

"Traitor to the core," Axel commented, smirking.

"Speak for yourself."

"You've been awfully quiet," Sora commented, crossing his arms. "I thought you were more talkative than that, Axel."

The Flurry of Dancing Flames shrugged. "I was _listening_. Thought I might get caught up on whatever you've managed to drag yourself into if I'm going to be helping."

"You mean you're coming with us?" Sora asked, ecstatic.

"Better than sleeping or doing nothing," Axel replied, smirking.

_**I…don't know if I should be excited or worried.**_

_Worried?_

_**Long story, Sora. Long, long story.**_

"I'm going to stay here this time," Shiki said. "I want to help the committee."

"You sure?" Neku asked. "I thought you didn't want to be left in the dark."

Shiki shook her head and clutched Mr. Mew in her arms. "I don't, and I admit I'll be worried…but I know you'll be okay."

"I'll stay too," Kairi added. "There are a few…things I'd like to look into here."

"Like what?" Riku asked.

Kairi shrugged. "Well, this _was_ my home and all…plus, I'd like to help with the computer. I'm sure they could use a key here, too."

"What if the heartless or nobodies attack?" Sora said. "Are you sure you can…?"

"I've fought before," Kairi insisted, brushing some hair out of her face. "You saw me do it, right?"

Sora chuckled nervously. "Oh, yeah…" _In the Organization's stronghold. I remember now._

_**She's actually not half bad. She kicks butt and looks good doing it, too.**_

_Quit teasing me, Roxas._

_**What? I **_**know **_**that's what you're thinking.**_

_Yeah, yeah._

Axel grinned. "Like I said…you've got guts, Kairi."

Sora still felt skeptical (though he was probably just worried for Kairi's safety), but nodded anyway. "I guess that works. Alright, everyone ready to go?"

Riku, Axel and Neku nodded. "Okay, then. Looks like we're off to see the King."

"Say hello to him for me," Kairi said, smiling. "And please be careful."

"We will," Riku assured them. With that, they stepped through the portal with one last goodbye.

* * *

_Looks like they're headed for the king's place._

_And the Zoners are everywhere…at least Rhyme's awake. They won't be able to use her now._

_We've all got bigger problems to worry about. The Zoners are baiting Neku to them so that they can kill him…but with Nobodies running around and hurting people, he has no choice but to go there. It's a lose-lose situation, and the only way to win is to wipe out the Zoners._

_I'm pretty sure that's what Neku wants to do, anyway._

_Then if he's going to go get rid of the Zoners, he'll need a bit of help from yours truly._

_Hey, don't leave me out of the fun._

_Of course not. We both have to stop by there, anyway.  
_

_Right. Time to see an old friend…_

* * *

...not too sure about this chapter. Oh, well.

Characters met:

Xenuk, the Traitor (_Chasing The Truth/The World Ends With You_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	22. Empty Welcomes

I was tempted to call this chapter "Why Axel Doesn't Drive" for absolutely no reason whatsoever…but I decided not to. XD

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Empty Welcomes**

* * *

"You go from world to world in _this_?" Axel said as they stepped into the gummi garage.

Sora nodded. "Yep. This is _Excalibur_."

Chip and Dale, whom had appeared earlier to welcome them, grinned proudly. "She's the most fuel- and ammunition-efficient gummi ship we've created thus far," Chip explained. "Not once has she ever failed us."

"Except for when she ran out of fuel," Dale pointed out.

Axel rubbed his neck skeptically. "You never have to worry about that when you use corridors…"

"Corridors?" Neku echoed.

Riku took a deep breath. "Corridors of darkness," he began, remembering his own experience using them, "Are basically portals. Organization XIII used them a whole lot…looks like the Zoners can, too."

"Hey, fast travel is fast travel," Axel pointed out. "Although it does kind of wear you out if you do it _too_ much."

"So why don't you just use a corridor, then?" Neku asked, shrugging his hands in the air. "Wouldn't that be faster?"

Sora winced _very_ noticeably, and Riku knew it had nothing to do with knowing the hard work Chip and Dale put into making the Excalibur (he had heard numerous stories about it). "Um, well…"

Sighing, Riku volunteered to speak again. "Not just anyone can make a corridor," he said. "I used to be able to make them, but after we defeated Xemnas I couldn't anymore. Besides, they're hardly predictable and even less safe because it could potentially corrupt your heart."

"Organization XIII used them all the time because we didn't have hearts to be corrupted," Axel added. "Heartless used them too, but they were already as corrupted as you can get. Not much more damage they could take in that department. The only way anyone else managed to stay untouched is if they were either lucky or they had a black coat."

"Besides," Sora continued, walking up the ramp, "Gummi Ships are not only safer, but a _lot_ more fun." There was a moment of silence and Sora gave an annoyed glance to the roof. Neku snickered, knowing what was probably going on in Sora's mind.

Once the group had boarded, Axel's feelings towards the gummi ship changed drastically. His eyes went wide as he examined the glowing control panel. "This is amazing!"

Sora smirked. "Wait til' you see the view."

Axel blinked. "View…?"

Riku sat down and fastened himself into his seat, grinning to himself. "Chip, Dale, set a course for Disney Castle."

"Roger!"

Neku buckled himself in next to Axel, still seeming wary about the Nobody. Sora, on the other hand, had an enormous smile on his face. "Okay! Get ready for liftoff, everyone!"

* * *

Cid leaned back against the wall. "So…you're tellin' me that the computer in that cave has a replica of every member of the Organization?"

Zidane nodded. "Yep. From what we gathered, Neku was the energy source they wanted, but he revived Axel and took down one of the Zoners."

"Impressive," Cid commented. "But what're we gonna do now? Something tells me that shutting it off won't be as easy."

Shantotto nodded. "To revive a data replica they need a new source, and I believe that their alternative isn't one any would endorse."

Cid stared blankly before Freya rolled her eyes. "She means that they're probably going to look for another source of energy, and it won't be a good one."

"That ain't good news," Cid grumbled. "Can't we shut off the damn thing?"

Shantotto shook her head. "A clever choice of action I must agree; But I'm afraid it may not be so simple, you see."

"Axel's existence hinges on that computer," Zidane continued. "If we shut it down, we may stop the Zoners, but he'll go too, meaning we'll lose an ally."

"Sora and the others are headed to Disney Castle as we speak," Freya added. "The King may have something – information or a tool – that may be able to help, but there are also nobody signals coming from there, so it'll be rough."

"Convenient," Cid remarked sarcastically. "What're you three gonna do?"

"Shantotto and I are planning on staying here to help resolve some trouble with the computer," Freya said. "We'll be more than happy to help get rid of the Zoners."

"I need to get going somewhere," Zidane said. "Can your nobody trackers pick up specific types?"

Cid nodded. "Yeah, more or less. What kind are ya lookin' for?"

Zidane's expression darkened. "Dragoons. I have a score to settle with someone."

* * *

"No wonder you guys don't use corridors. This view is amazing!"

Sora felt Roxas grin through him when he caught the sight of Axel gawking at the window. He remembered the first time _he_ had seen it: he hardly wanted to tear his eyes from the window. After waking up in Twilight Town and boarding the _Kingdom_ that Yen Sid had brought for them, he had found himself staring again, not because he hadn't seen the sky in a while, but because Roxas hadn't.

_**I don't care how bad you drive in the routes, Sora. This view is totally worth it.**_

_I'm glad someone agrees with me._

Riku cleared his throat, having arrived from the back room when he went to check on a few things. "Guys, I think we've got a stowaway."

Sora blinked, turning around in his chair. "Huh?"

A familiar white dog bounded out of the back room and jumped into his lap, barking happily. Sora's face fell, not sure whether to be ashamed or annoyed. "Bolt? What're you doing here?"

"He's as bad as Pluto was," Riku commented, returning to his seat. "I don't think he'll be leaving us anytime soon."

"What do we do with him, then?" Neku asked. "Letting him come along when there are Nobodies around isn't a safe idea."

Bolt growled in protest. Sora gave the dog a curious look. "I think that's what he wants," he replied. "Besides, how hard can it be to lose track of a dog?"

Riku chuckled humorlessly. "Not hard at all. Pluto runs off all the time. I can't say much for Bolt though…we haven't known him all that long."

It took less than ten minutes to reach the hangar in Disney Castle, and exiting the ship was as normal as it always was. After exiting the garage, the group found their way into the winding spiral stairway. Sora had been through it only once, but it never ceased to surprise him how strange it looked compared to the rest of the castle.

Neku paused in his tracks. "Hang on, guys. Who lives here?"

"The King does," Sora replied. "He and a few other people from here helped us fight the heartless and the Organization."

"That might be a problem," Neku stated. "I mean, how are they going to react to Axel? Wasn't Axel in the Organization?"

Axel winced, scratching his head. "You know, he's got a point."

_**You know what he**_** really**_** needs? A new outfit. I don't care if that cloak is protection. He could look way better in something else.**_

Sora snickered, covering his mouth. _Is that why you changed out of your coat?_

_**Not really. I had my old outfit to begin with…I just swapped it for a coat when I joined the Organization. Later on when DiZ put me in the simulation, I had to ditch the coat.**_

Riku quirked an eyebrow at Sora. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Sora replied in half-truth. "I…_we_…were just thinking that Axel might be better off in some new clothes."

Neku quirked an eyebrow. "I could have Shiki take care of that. We should contact her when we get done here."

"She can sew?" Axel questioned.

"She sewed the jacket I'm wearing," Sora pointed out; gesturing somewhat vaguely to the said jacket that Shiki had given him for his birthday. Though he missed his old ones – both the one he had left Destiny Islands with and the one that the fairies had given him – he really liked Shiki's.

Axel blinked. "Really? Not bad."

The group made their way up the stairs and Sora pushed open the doors into the courtyard, squinting a bit as he stepped out into the sunlight. Riku blinked a few times and stretched, followed by a very excited Bolt. Axel and Neku gave the area a suspicious glance, though Neku was a bit more curious than nervous. "This is it?" He asked.

Sora nodded. "Neku, welcome to Disney Castle."

"Something seems kind of off, though," Riku commented. "I only came here once, but still…"

"Didn't Leon say something about Nobody signals coming from here?" Neku said. "That's why we're here, right?"

Sora bit his lip. It was true, he _was_ here to help, but he also wanted to ask Neku about the keyblade that had appeared for him. He had hoped that the King would know something. Shrugging, he nodded. "Yeah. We'd better tell the King about the Zoners, too. Let's check the library."

Neku's eyes widened. "Whoa! Hang on!"

"What's up?" Riku asked, turning around.

"This is a _castle_," Neku explained. "You sure it's okay for us to just waltz in uninvited?"

"It's better than letting any Nobodies do the same," Axel said, shrugging.

Sora nodded. "What Axel said. Besides, the King knows me and Riku. We'll be fine."

"If you say so," Neku sighed. "Still, I'm worried."

Axel was similarly anxious, but he went along with them anyway.

The hall past the garden was abnormally silent, but Sora knew better; the last time he had been in it, it had been infested with heartless. Of course it would be quieter now. "Your Majesty?" He called. His voice echoed across the hall, but no answer came. He pushed open the door to the library and called again, hearing no answer. "That's weird…why is there no one here?"

The group entered the room. The portraits hung in their same places, the books still neatly lining the shelves. There was a half-penned letter on the desk opposite of an unlit fireplace, and Pluto's bed nearby was empty. The candle stands remained lit as usual. Sun also came in from the skylight. All in all, nothing was out of place except for the people that were missing.

"Strange," Riku commented. "If anywhere, the King is usually either here or in the throne room."

"But wouldn't he have heard us by now?" Sora wondered. "The castle isn't _that_ big."

"Is your King AWOL or something?" Neku asked.

Sora nodded. "Him and everyone else too, by the looks of it."

"Unless he's in the throne room," Riku suggested, "Or the Cornerstone Hall."

"Then let's go check there," Neku said, already heading for the door. No one had any complaints in following.

Out in the hall, they found someone waiting for them: a ghostly figure hovering in the air. Sora blinked. _What the…_

_**That's not me, Sora.**_

_It's not?_

Indeed, the figure wasn't Roxas. When Sora looked a bit more closely, he noted that the clothing was different. He blinked, recognizing the ghost from when he had first met Jaxuk. "…Ventus?"

The figure waved them forward and flew into the throne room. Sora started forward, ignoring Riku's protest, and screeched to a halt in front of the door to the audience chamber. "I think he went in here," he muttered, walking forward and pressing on the door in hopes of opening it. It didn't budge. "Come on, open up!"

"I don't think that's going to open it, Sora," Neku commented. "I think it's locked."

Sora blinked, chuckling in embarrassment. "I guess I shoulda thought of that before."

_**Nice job, genius.**_

_Quiet, you._

After summoning Remembered Dream and opening the door, Sora pushed it open. "Come on, guys."

As they stepped in, several things happened. Bolt bared his teeth and growled menacingly. Neku simply stood his ground, unsure but prepared to act however he needed to. Sora and Riku whipped out their Keyblades while Axel summoned his chakrams in a burst of flame.

The throne room was filled with Dusks.

* * *

So...chaos, anyone?

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/???_)


	23. Larsa

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Larsa**

* * *

Neku didn't particularly feel like proceeding. It was a reasonable thought in his opinion; one would have to be crazy to go through that many Dusks, especially one by one.

_**Don't be afraid…**_

He flinched. _You again? Look, I know I can fight these, but what I don't know is how to get that…keyblade or whatever in my hand again. I'm not exactly an expert in this field you know!_

Axel stepped forward. "Stand back. I'll handle these-"

"_No_!"

Everyone paused, turning toward Sora. He had his hands clenched tightly into fists, and though his eyes were narrowed, Neku could easily see that they were glossed over and damp. Axel blinked at the key bearer's expression. "Wha?"

"I said _no_!" Sora repeated. "I am _not_ going to watch you die again, you hear me? I'm _not_! I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you _again_!"

Riku coughed oddly. "I think Roxas is having an outburst," he muttered to Neku.

Neku formed his mouth into an 'o' and nodded. _That would explain it._

"Then what do _you_ suggest we do?" Axel asked casually. "Cutting through them one by one isn't exactly going to be easy."

"We don't have to," Riku pointed out. "Let's make it to the throne and we can get them all at once."

Sora gripped the handle of Remembered Dream tightly, not bothering to ask how for some reason. "Okay. Head for the throne, kill any Nobodies in the way. Got it, everyone?"

Neku swallowed, staring warily at the crowd of dusks. They hadn't moved to attack them since they entered…yet. He didn't feel like wondering why. "More or less," he replied.

Riku and Axel simply nodded, and Bolt growled. With a nod, Sora brandished his keyblade and charged forward. "Let's go!"

They ran forward, slicing through any Dusks that got too close. Neku gritted his teeth, feeling power flow from his heart and down to his now-tingling hand. His fingers curled almost instinctively around Music of Shibuya, and a tune filled his ears as he sliced through several dusks.

_What a way to run down the red carpet,_ he mused.

"How much farther?!" Axel cried as he hurled one of his chakrams to the side, leaving a clear, circular trail where it had slain a number of dusks. He caught it again and continued running.

"We're about halfway," Sora replied, taking the lead and slicing the nobodies in front of them. "Keep going!"

That was when Neku heard a tune in his voice. It was a fast, eerie one, yet it urged him onwards and gave him strength. He heard a whirring to his left and lashed out instinctively, opening his eyes from a wince just in time to see a dusk fading. Something twisted him to the other side, and just before another of the dusks could have attacked him it met the squared edge of the keyblade. Neku should have frozen in fear, but he didn't. He kept going.

_**Neku…**_

He wasn't sure whether he was ignoring the voice or paying close attention. His movements were all automatic, and there was a pulse in the air that he could _feel_. As they got closer to the throne, it got stronger. It seemed like centuries had passed when they finally arrived at the other end of the room, where a very small throne stood.

Sora skidded to a halt and spun on the crowd of dusks. "You guys hit back any of the ones that get too close! I'm gonna open up the door to the hall!"

Riku nodded. "Right!"

"And how's that going to help?!" Neku demanded, swatting away a dusk that got too close.

Sora ignored him and began fiddling with the armrest of the throne. "Come on, it's around here somewhere…" he muttered frantically.

Riku shot a few blasts of dark firaga while Axel hurled his chakrams into the crowd. Bolt treated any and all nearby dusks as chew toys, managing to hold them off rather than destroy them. Neku was stuck with short-range, swatting away anyone who dared to get too close. "Hurry, Sora!"

There was a barely audible click and Neku felt the ground beneath him shift. The entire raised platform that the throne was on shifted, a bright light shining out of a cavity in the floor. Before long, Neku had to stop fighting and start shielding his eyes. The music in his ears reached its climax, and when it softened again he decided to uncover his eyes. The throne room was entirely devoid of nobodies, the only strange features being the door and the red carpet.

Axel blinked. "Wow."

"Wow," Neku agreed.

Riku, however, found something else to be interested in. "Neku, are you holding what I think you're holding?"

Neku glanced down at the keyblade in his hand just as it vanished, the music leaving his ears as well. "You mean what I _was_ holding?" He said. "Probably."

"That's one of the things I wanted to ask the King about," Sora said. "We first saw it in Monstro…when some nobodies attacked us. Did it ever show up again after that, Neku?"

"Aside from now," Neku began nervously, still staring at his hand and flexing his fingers, "Only once…"

Sora gave a quick, understanding smile and then headed for where the platform had been minutes before, heading down a staircase into what was probably a basement. "Down here is the hall of the cornerstone. There's a door down here too, but it's probably better if we don't head through it."

"Why's that?" Axel asked. "With you being the key bearer and all I thought doors were your thing, Sora."

"Not if you want your conception of the color spectrum to end up screwed over," Riku commented. Neku was about to ask for an explanation when Sora just shook his head.

Neku ended up being wrong in assuming that they were headed for something similar to a basement. The room was _huge_, probably bigger than the Room of Reckoning in the Shibuya River. As Sora had described, there was a standalone door off to one side (and though normally Neku would accuse the door of being useless, recent experiences behooved him to think twice before coming upon that conclusion), and in the center of the room was an enormous, glimmering sphere resting on a square pedestal.

"That's the Cornerstone of Light," Sora explained. "It's supposed to protect the castle from Darkness, but it doesn't explain how the nobodies got here."

"I doubt they'd use a Gummi Ship," Riku stated, crossing his arms. "But how else would they have gotten in?"

"I would like to ask you the same thing."

Neku suddenly felt the tip of something very sharp and pointy prodding at his back. He froze, hands in the air. "Um…guys…I think…"

"I would cooperate if I were you. I have a request from his majesty to keep away all intruders…"

Sora spun around. "The king! Do you know where…" He paused. "Who are you?"

A hesitation. "You know the king?"

"You bet we do," Riku replied. "We're here to see him about something."

"Oh…I see. My apologies." The sword left his back.

Neku sighed, turning around and seeing his would-be assailant behind him. It was a boy no holder than he was, garbed in a long-sleeved white shirt and a black leather vest, tall boots on his feet and an elegant rapier in his hand. Lengthy black hair was slicked back, and dark eyes stared calmly at the group. Neku sniffed unconsciously; this boy had an air of royalty about him for some reason. "Where's the king?" Sora asked, stepping forward.

The boy bowed politely. "If you seek his majesty, he is soon to return. He requested me to await him here and ward of any intruders. I assume he was referring to the Dusks upstairs and not you."

"Who are you?" Neku asked, crossing his arms.

"Larsa Solidor," the boy replied, smiling warmly. "I was here to speak with the king as well when we were attacked in the audience chamber."

"Well, your attackers aren't there anymore," Axel replied, grinning smugly. "And if they are, they're probably heading for the hills."

Larsa gave Axel a suspicious gaze. "You're not with them, are you?"

Axel groaned. "Sheesh, just because I wear the same coat doesn't mean I'm one of the enemy!"

"Now you know how I felt," Riku grumbled.

"He's with us," Sora explained hurriedly. "We're here to warn the King about a group of people called the Zoners."

With a sigh, Larsa sheathed his weapon and crossed his arms. "So you have met them, too. I was here for the same reason."

"Looks like we've got plenty in common already," Neku commented. "You familiar with any of them? Zarxilt? Jaxuk?"

"Actually," Larsa began sadly, "I am all too familiar with one of them. I believe you may know him as Naxeyv."

Riku laughed bitterly. "Oh, we know him. We had a run-in with him just yesterday."

"How do you know him?" Sora asked. "Did Naxeyv attack you, too?"

Larsa stared at the floor, eyes soft and almost unreadable. "His name was Vayne Solidor. He was my brother."

Neku's eyes bulged in shock. "Naxeyv was your _brother_?!"

"Yes," Larsa replied. "He was to rule the Archadian empire. But he got a taste of power, and, well…you saw what happened to him."

Neku looked away, biting his lip. He couldn't begin to imagine what it must have been like to have something like that happen. For someone you know so well to turn against you and become an enemy…he had experienced something similar when he once thought Hanekoma was the Composer he sought to defeat, but even though he ended up being wrong, it still shook him when he came to such a conclusion.

"I was forced to strike down his heartless in my own world," Larsa continued, not seeming as distraught as Neku had expected, "But I'm afraid his Nobody remains and has joined the Zoners."

Sora suddenly became noticeably hesitant. "The Zoners are after Neku still," he began, swallowing. "But if he's your brother, then we can't…"

Larsa shook his head. "That shell is only what remains of my brother. I would not wish that punishment upon _anyone_." He turned away. "Might I ask why you are looking for him?"

Neku took a deep breath and stepped forward. This would take a while.

* * *

Freya groaned. "Here, too?"

There was a small crowd of dusks gathered in the gorge not far from the Bailey. Shantotto was doing fine holding them off – she even seemed like she was having fun with it, considering that every single explosion of magic was followed by high-pitched laughter – but they just kept coming. While the threat was not a significant one, if they allowed it to escalate, they would find themselves in a situation not unlike they had found themselves in with the heartless.

"It might have had something to do with the computer," Leon suggested, resting his gunblade on his shoulder. "Either that, or the Zoners want to get rid of any obstacles that will prevent them from getting to it again."

Xenuk unleashed a flurry of ice on a few nearby dusks that had decided to get too close and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Neku revived the traitor to the Organization," he began. "There's probably a replica of Roxas in there, too…an incomplete one, at any rate…but the problem is that if we destroy that computer, Axel goes too, and we can't afford to lose any more allies."

"Well said," Freya replied. "But there has to be a way to disable the computer without destroying it. If the only thing we have to lose is an ally, though…"

"That's the problem," Leon pointed out. "We only think that's all we have to lose by destroying it. I'd get some…well, some _inside_ help you might say, but the computer expert I have in mind is checking on the king right now."

Freya blinked. "You can't mean Sora, can you? Last time I checked, that boy was hardly computer savvy."

Leon smirked. "I know."

"We can worry about the computer later," Xenuk interrupted. "Get this crowd of dusks out of the way. I'm going to go check on the group at Merlin's." With that, he leapt out of sight.

* * *

This was...an awkward chapter to write. Dunno why. Next one is going to be much easier.

Characters met:

Larsa Solidor (_Final Fantasy XII_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	24. Reunions

Okay, head's up you guys. I'm being dragged off to my grandmothers' for a week come tomorrow evening, so don't expect any updates until I'm back.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd also like to note that there are other stories I'm writing other than this one (believe it or not! XD), so updates will be slower. Probably better that way; I've been spoiling you all with uber fast rapid-fire chapter postage. Plus, all this non-stop writing has worn me out like you'd never believe, and I could use a break anyway. (Whew...) Well, then. On to chapter twenty three!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Reunions**

* * *

_You led them on?_

_Hey, it didn't hurt anyone. If anything, it was actually helping. Why are you looking at me like that?_

_Nothing. I just never knew you were that interested in Neku._

_Hey, he was hand-picked as Joshua's proxy. That alone is huge._

_Speaking of which, don't you think you should at least go give him an update?_

_Who, Joshua? That guy should already know by now._

…

_Fine. I guess it couldn't hurt to check in with him. Will _you_ keep an eye on them in my place?_

_If you insist. Hurry on back, though. And keep an eye on Rhyme when you do. I'll meet you there._

* * *

Larsa's eyes were narrowed in thought. "I see," he muttered. "So the Zoners were after a power source to revive the Organization."

Sora nodded. "Right," he said. "Neku was the first one they had in mind, but when he revived Axel instead of any of the other members, they decided they didn't need him anymore and now they're out for blood."

"I figured as much," Larsa replied. "If your friend had only enough power to revive one member without wearing himself down, then they'll be looking for a far more powerful source. Do you know of anything like that?"

"Not really," Riku said. "Neku's one of a kind in that department. Even after he recovers, using him over again twelve more times won't exactly be a good idea for us _or_ for them."

Neku groaned. "Thanks for the reassurance," he mumbled.

Biting his lip, Sora swallowed and began another question. "By the way, Larsa…"

"Yes, Sora?"

"Did you see a ghost come in here?"

Larsa hesitated, and for a brief moment Sora was worried that he wouldn't receive confirmation, but the boy nodded. "Actually, I _did_ see one."

Sora's eyes lit up in excitement. _Yes! I knew it!_ "Do you know anything about him?"

"No," Larsa replied, shaking his head. "He didn't stay long. He just said that a few of the kings' friends would take care of the nobodies upstairs. Funny…he looked very much like you for some reason."

_**Or me.**_

_Well, you look like me, too._

Riku chuckled lowly. "Actually, Sora and I are the only ones that know the King personally. Neku is more of a visitor than anything, and Axel…well, we explained that already."

Axel crossed his arms. "I'll help in whatever way I can, but I won't make any promises."

"Right," Larsa agreed. "That just leaves…oh, there they are."

The door nearby began to shudder, and all eyes swept over it. Sora watched warily, ready to whip out the keyblade at a split second's notice, when he heard a few familiar voices emerge.

"Whelp, nothin's wrong with the cornerstone. I can't think of anything that could have messed up the barrier."

"Maybe it's not the cornerstone, your majesty. He could have snuck in through the port."

"Gawrsh, wouldn't we have known by then?"

Sora unconsciously took a step forward, eyes widening. It had been far too long since he had heard those two, although he hadn't ever seen them in their castle attire. "Donald? Goofy?"

It took all of two seconds for the connection to be made and for the duck and dog to practically fling themselves across the room and onto Sora, sending all three of them crashing to the ground. Even as he laughed and pulled his old two pals into a hug, he couldn't help but wonder why _he_ was always at the bottom of the pile whenever there was one.

"Is he okay?" Sora heard Neku wonder in concern.

Riku could be heard laughing. "Oh, he's fine, trust me. This happens all the time."

Smirking, Sora pushed his way out of the mess and sat up. "Hey, guys. Long time no see, huh?"

"You bet," Donald cried.

Goofy just gave an awkward grin. "A-hyuk, it's great to see ya again, Sora!"

Nearby, the familiar face of King Mickey stood, arms crossed and smile wide. "It's nice to see ya again. I only wish it woulda been under better circumstances."

Sora's smile faded as quickly as it had come, and he stood. "Actually, that's what we're here about."

All eyes suddenly turned to a bit of commotion near the entrance, where Neku had grabbed onto Axel's arm and was dragging him back in. "I did _not_ bring you back so you could run away from stuff like this."

"And how am I supposed to explain myself? I'm dead, remember?"

"Dead or not, this is something you need to face up to. And don't even _think_ of trying to burn your way out; Roxas will never forgive you."

"What's Axel doing here?!" Donald demanded, jumping up and down furiously.

"Long story that we can explain later," Riku replied as Neku finally jerked the nobody to a stop. "We saw those dusks upstairs. You know who brought 'em in?"

"Naxeyv did," Larsa said. "But I don't know how."

"I thought we already got rid of Organization XIII," Goofy mused, rubbing his head. "How come there're more of 'em?"

"They're called the Zoners," Sora explained. "There are four of them…well, three now. We've already managed to defeat one. They found one of Ansem's computers and they're trying to use it to revive the Organization. For that, they kept going after Neku here."

"Who's Neku?" Donald asked.

Neku awkwardly stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck. "That would be me."

The king tilted his head curiously. "Neku Sakuraba, right? Why would they go after you?"

"They wanted to use him as an energy source," Riku replied. "What they didn't expect was that Neku only had enough energy to revive one data replica, and he chose Axel."

"After that we managed to take down Zarxilt," Axel added, "But now the Zoners don't want Neku in their way anymore. I dunno why they'd go after this castle, though…or how."

"What makes you say that?" Sora asked.

Axel shrugged. "No one from Organization XIII could use a corridor of darkness to get here because of the cornerstone's power. Besides, this place wasn't exactly a landmark of interest to anyone. No heartless or anything."

"But he came after here anyway," Riku pointed out. "If anything, I'd guess he was trying to bait us here so he could wipe us out."

"But how'd he even get in?" Goofy asked. "The cornerstone stops all that, doesn't it?"

"He used a stone called nethecite to get in," Larsa explained. "It was able to absorb enough of the Cornerstone's power for him to break through the barriers and dispatch his nobodies."

_So that's what he took from the ruins,_ Sora concluded.

Larsa's expression became stony. "With that nethecite, he will be a major threat to this castle and many other places. That's why I came to stop him myself, but he seemed content with leaving his minions and he fled to somewhere nearby."

"Where do you think that would be?" Neku asked.

"Probably Port Royal," The King suggested. "It's the closest world to here other than Radiant Garden and Atlantica."

"Good point," Riku stated. "We just came from Radiant Garden, and no one bothers invading Atlantica. Port Royal is pretty much the only place they'd go."

"What about the others?" Larsa said. "Judging from what you said, there are at least two more."

"Yeah," Neku replied. "We'll have to keep an eye out for them too, I guess."

Goofy's expression took on an all-too-familiar frown of concern. "Gawrsh, you'd better be careful out there, you guys."

"We will," Sora said, smiling and nodding, "But we're not headed out yet. There's something else I wanted to ask about."

"There was?" The King asked.

"There was?" Riku wondered.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Do you happen to know anything about a guy named Ventus?"

Mickey apparently recognized the name, as he started a bit when it left Sora's mouth. "I know him!"

"You do?!" Sora asked, excited.

"You bet!" Mickey replied, and immediately the vigor was lost when he crossed his eyes and stared at the ground in thought. "It's been over ten years since I last saw him. He was always talking about his friends Aqua and Terra. Other than that, I don't remember much about him…I'm sorry."

Sora's shoulders slumped. "Oh…"

"I did know him once," Mickey hastily added, hoping to lift Sora's spirits. "It's just been a while. Why do ya ask?"

"We ran into a ghost named that," Neku explained. "Well, he didn't seem to want us to know who he was. He said his name was Kite at first, but one of the Zoners told us who he really was."

"He led us in here too," Sora added. "He's bound to show up again, but I just thought we'd ask."

"Does this mean you're still on the job?" Goofy asked, scratching his head worriedly.

Sora nodded. "For a little while longer, yeah. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Donald said.

It was then that Riku stepped forward. "You two should stay here in case Naxeyv decides to attack the castle again," he stated. "We'll handle the rest."

"He's right," Larsa stated. "And even if you don't run into him, there's no telling if he'll have handed the nethecite to someone else."

"No kidding," Axel commented. "Not even Xemnas could get past the barrier here. If that guy could, we're in for a rough ride."

"But we beat Zarxilt," Sora pointed out. "I'm sure we'll make it."

Mickey nodded in approval. "I'm sure you will, Sora. We'll hold the fort here, so don't worry about us. I'll send a message if anything happens."

Sora bowed politely. "Thank you, your majesty."

_**Aren't you going to ask about Neku's…?**_

_Not this time,_ Sora replied mentally. _I get the feeling that the King isn't the one we're looking for when it comes to that._

_**Oooh...I see where you're going with this.**_

"Off to Port Royal then, I guess," Riku said. "We'd better head over there before anything gets worse."

Larsa bowed respectfully. "Be careful, all of you."

Sora gave them his usual salute. "Take care, guys."

* * *

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	25. Apprehension

IM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! DIDJA MISS ME, FOLKS? :D

Anywho…I've pretty much got this fic figured out. Several planned places are going to be excluded unfortunately, as I don't want this to be TOO long. I might write them up as omake or something. Anyway, on to Port Royal! Short chappie, I know…next one is on the way!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Apprehension**

* * *

Beat was hesitant to let Rhyme get any rest, probably out of fear of her falling comatose again, and the only good that came out of it was his own peace of mind. He, Shiki and Kairi would keep her company when they could, but the one thing she only ever talked about most was "the white place" and "the girl in the white place." Shiki was hesitant to ask about it, and decided to leave it alone, but when Rhyme began to look pale again she couldn't ignore the matter.

Kairi left with Yuffie, Aerith and Leon to check on the town, and in their place Xenuk had arrived to guard the house, along with Shantotto and Freya whom arrived later.

"Where's Zidane?" Xenuk asked.

"Still with Cid in the laboratory," Freya replied silently. "He's trying to track something. I've never seen him act quite like that…it's almost as though he's out for blood."

Shantotto only nodded in agreement, uncharacteristically silent again. Shiki glanced back at Rhyme, whom was sitting on the bed and hugging her knees. She looked far more nervous than she ever had, and the color was still drained from her face. Taking the cue, Shiki offered her a drink, but Rhyme shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Shiki replied. "Rhyme, can you tell us what's wrong?"

Rhyme only shook her head, evading answering the question. "Where is she? She said she'd be back."

"Who?"

"The girl from the white place."

That again. Just what was Rhyme getting at?

Xenuk narrowed his eyes in thought before glancing up. "Rhyme, is something bothering you?"

Rhyme sighed and finally nodded. "Yeah. I just don't get why it's not bothering you."

"What's not?" Shiki said. "There are several Nobodies outside, but the others are taking care of that."

"She's right," Beat said. "The only thing botherin' me is that you're bothered by something and you ain't tellin' us."

Shantotto quirked an eyebrow. "That must be it, don't you see? While we _can't_, she _can_…perfectly."

"What is it that she can, then?" Xenuk asked. Shantotto only shook her head, and everyone was left right where they started.

A signal from the computer sounded. Sighing and standing, Xenuk headed over to the computer and flipped on the monitor. "HBRC Headquarters."

"You don't have to be so formal; it's only us."

At the sound of Riku's voice, everyone headed over to the monitor. Riku was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, while Sora was in his usual position with his fingers over the control panel. Axel was in one of the seats in the back staring out the window with immense interest, and Neku had his arms folded oddly in his lap while he stared in annoyance at the screen – at least, it looked like annoyance. Shiki knew better.

"Hey, Phones!" Beat said with utmost gusto. Rhyme smiled, giggling at her brother's sudden change of gears.

Neku smirked, waving back. "Hey, guys. How're things over there?"

"There are enough Nobodies to keep us busy for a while," Freya stated. "It's nothing too serious, but it's quickly becoming an annoyance."

"Where have I heard that before," Sora muttered quietly before shaking his head. "Oh, yeah! You doing okay, Rhyme?"

Rhyme paused, and nodded. "I'm fine. Just a bit anxious."

"How was the King?" Freya asked.

"He's fine," Riku replied. "Apparently the nobodies got in thanks to a stone called Nethicite. Naxeyv used it to get through the barrier. You know anything, Xenuk?"

Xenuk crossed his arms. "A little. Nethicite exists on a world called Ivalice. It's capable of absorbing magic energies, and natural Nethicite ends up expelling it in large explosions of raw power. On Ivalice, a single shard of it managed to destroy an entire fleet of airships, while another one took out the capital of a city and covered it in mist."

"Mist?" Neku echoed. "What's a bunch of fog going to do?"

"Mist is a source of magic power," Freya explained. "At least on Ivalice it is. You can't always see it, but if there's a very high concentration of it, you can. People that are sensitive to it tend to get nauseous or go berserk entirely, so it's either a blessing or a curse to have around depending on who you are."

"That makes sense," Axel said, turning from the window. "If that piece of rock can absorb magic or whatever, then it probably absorbed enough of the cornerstone's power to weaken the barrier."

"Which means the barrier around the castle isn't stable," Shantotto added, "And the nobodies can invade since now they're able."

"So what's he plan on doin' with it?" Beat wondered, scratching his neck anxiously.

"It's hard to say what kind of things Naxeyv plans to do with a piece of Nethicite," Xenuk said, crossing his arms, "But whatever it is, we're not going to like it. Even before he was a nobody, Naxeyv was always after that kind of power. The good news is that if _he_ tries to use any magic of his own, he'll find his own tool working against him, but if there's an explosion waiting at the end it still won't be pretty for either side. If you guys run into him, I'm pretty sure it'd be a good idea to get it away from him and destroy it as soon as you can, unless you plan on a pretty painful death."

"We're headed for Port Royal right now," Sora stated. "Larsa said he's probably there, so we'll keep an eye out. Hey, Shiki?"

Shiki started at the mention of her name. "Yeah?"

"You still have that needle and thread of yours?"

It was an odd question, but Shiki smiled at the mention. "Yeah, I do! What do you need?"

"Think you could make a new outfit for Axel? That cloak isn't doing him any favors."

The redhead crossed his arms. "Hey! What do you mean by that?!"

Feeling a squabble coming on, Shiki laughed and interrupted the two. "Okay. I'll see what I can come up with, don't you worry."

"Be careful everyone," Rhyme said, almost inaudibly.

Sora apparently heard her and nodded, grinning widely. "We will. Promise."

* * *

_You know, Rhyme's worried about you. Haven't you gone to see her?_

_There are too many nobodies. I doubt it'd be safe, even considering that she…_

…_Right. Got it. Still, don't you find it kind of interesting? If she wanted to, she could become-_

_I doubt she would. There aren't exactly lovely memories of that time for her. Still, it could happen involuntarily. For now, we should focus on what we're here to do._

_Right. I'll keep an eye on headphone boy. You stick around here to make sure nothing happens to Rhyme. The Zoners are bound to go after her again if we're not careful…_

* * *

Neku stared at the ceiling. "So, that rock that Naxeyv's got can suck up magic and spit it back out as a massive blast?"

"Pretty much," Axel said. "He mentioned mist, too. If that stone decides to detonate, I'd rather not be nearby to figure out if I'm one of those people that are sensitive to the stuff or not."

"Then when we find it we'd better destroy it," Sora said. "Finding Naxeyv shouldn't be that hard; if the Zoners are after Neku we won't have to do much in that department."

"Gee, thanks," Neku groaned, staring out the window. _It's bad enough that I've got voices in my head, and now I've got those guys coming after me wanting to kill me. For real. With no UG. Isn't this a wonderful vacation?_

_**Neku…Sakuraba…**_

_Ugh, right on cue. What do you want?_

_**Listen…to the…**_

"We're here!"

Sora's jovial announcement snapped Neku from his daze and he blinked, rubbing his eyes for a few seconds and staring at the world nearby. It was rather dark; he couldn't make out much of whatever was on the surface. "This is Port Royal?" he asked. "I was kind of expecting something a bit…well…"

"I know," Sora replied. "This place is pretty different from the others. There's a lot of open water, but there are a few places, like the port, the island where the old treasure trove was, and the ship graveyard."

"Anything we need to look out for?" Axel asked. "Aside from Nobodies, I mean."

Sora sat back for a moment, staring upward contemplatively. "Unless someone dove to the bottom of the ocean and fished out a chest full of cursed gold coins that make you turn into a pretty creepy version of the living dead when the moonlight hits you…just the nobodies."

_I don't know whether to be freaked out or disgusted._

"Everyone ready to land?" Sora asked.

Riku sighed, standing. "More or less. The sooner we find Naxeyv the better."

The portal lit up, and one by one, everyone stepped through. Neku took a deep breath, stepping forward warily after Sora and Riku entered. Axel crossed his arms, sighing. "I've heard about this world. Not exactly my type of place."

"Then we'll have to find Naxeyv quick," Neku replied. "Come on, Axel."

Axel hesitated, but shrugged, stepping forward. Neku watched as he stepped through, the portal flickering very slightly as he entered. Something caused his stomach to twist as he stepped forward, but he ignored it.

The moment Neku stepped outside, he found the ground beneath him shift away like it wasn't there and the darkness of the area shocked his eyesight. After a few moments Neku realized that he had stepped out of the portal and into the middle of the ocean. Sora and Riku were nowhere in sight.

And neither was Axel.

* * *

I'm so evil, aren't I? XD Next chapter coming soon!

Also, wow...a new crossover section. Is anyone actually using that? Or...bleh. I'll figure it out. O.o

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	26. The Open Sea

Whew, I got chapter 25 out! I'm sorry for lack of updates, I'm going on an impromptu trip to Sakuracon this weekend (I'm going to cosplay as Rhyme :D) and my time is being sucked dry in preparations. But here's chapter 25!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Open Sea**

* * *

"You sure that's a good idea, J?" Sanae Hanekoma asked as he put away a few clean coffee mugs. "None of the higher ups have done anything like that before, and I'm pretty sure they'd protest in a heartbeat."

"There haven't been heartless or nobodies plaguing Shibuya either," Joshua pointed out, his usual smug tone and sarcastic smirk not present. This was not the time for that. "Besides, you know what's been happening with Shibuya lately. Haven't you heard it?"

Hanekoma paused, then nodded. "Yeah. I haven't really heard anything like that since…actually, I've _never_ heard it before. What do you think's going on?"

Joshua looked away. "I have a vague idea, but I won't know for sure until I see it myself. I trust you'll explain my situation to any of the council if they ask why I'm doing this or where I am?"

"You got it, Boss," Hanekoma replied, closing the cupboard and heading to one of the tables to wipe it off. "I really can't say I really like this idea, though. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid."

Did he really have to remind him? Joshua sighed. "Sanae, far more than Shibuya is at stake here, and the erasure won't be by anyone from this world. Shibuya especially is tied into all of this, you know that. Why else would _that_ be happening?" He pointed outside, not to what could be seen, but what could be _heard_. "The most foolish thing I'd do would be to help the enemy or actually dying, and I have no plans for either. As Shibuya's Composer, this should have been my responsibility from the start, but it's not. I think I may know why, but I won't be sure until I see with my own eyes."

Sighing, Hanekoma tossed a familiar pin toward Joshua. "Well, at least give _that_ to him. If your guess is right, he'll be able to use it without having to re-tune his vibe. And save your thanks for when this is over, 'kay boss?"

Joshua nodded. "Right," he replied. "Make sure Shibuya stays intact while I'm gone." And with that, the Composer vanished.

* * *

Neku couldn't breathe, and didn't bother doing so. After all, he couldn't pull that off when underwater. The salt water stung his eyes, but he didn't care; his sight was important right now.

The water shifted and he saw a dark figure nearby. Neku's eyes widened as he recognized it as Axel. The nobody was flailing about wildly and without any kind of coordination whatsoever. Something prodded the back of Neku's mind, and he suddenly realized a very, very important fact.

Axel couldn't swim.

With determination and a sudden burst of strength that couldn't have been his own, Neku made toward Axel and grabbed him by the arm, swimming upward and pulling him above the water's surface. By then he was too late; Axel had swallowed too much sea water and was unconscious. Neku's vision sharpened – possibly from the sudden adrenalin rush he was experiencing – and he found shore nearby, littered with several remains of old wooden ships. Pulling Axel along, he dragged himself to shore and placed Axel on the sand (_Geez, he's heavier than he looks…_) before checking for signs of life. Thankfully, Axel had a pulse – or as much of a pulse that a nobody could have; being whole probably made it easier to find – but he wasn't breathing.

Behind him, Neku heard someone else approaching, turning to see Bolt doggy-paddling to shore and shaking off, his collar jingling loudly. He quickly returned his attention to Axel and groaned. _Why me?_ he moaned, but he placed his hands heel-down on Axel's chest anyway. _Sora, I hope you're thankful for this, or you're going to owe me _big time_._

* * *

_Well, crud. I think Sora flubbed the landing again._

_I doubt it. If Naxeyv is indeed in Port Royal, he may have interfered._

_Wait…there's someone else in Port Royal as well. I think it's an off-worlder._

_You sure it's not just one of the group?_

_Positive._

_Is it a Nobody? One of the Zoners, maybe?_

_Not this one, no…what's he doing here…?_

_Gonna go take a look?_

_Yeah, I'd better keep an eye on music boy over there. Make sure Rhyme stays calm; it looks like things are about to get messy over there._

_Right. _

* * *

"Axel, you weren't breathing! It's just a standard life-saving procedure!"

"You still kissed me!"

"It's _not_ a _kiss_! It's mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and if it were up to me I would've made Sora or someone else do it! And you smell like burnt wood, by the way."

"Not my fault I can control fire!"

"Look, you owe me for saving your life anyway, so just don't mention this to Sora and the debt will be repaid."

"Ugh, fine."

Axel grudgingly squeezed the last of the water out of his hair – which proved to be no easy task – and stared at the ocean. "That's why I didn't like Demyx. Fire and water never get along well."

"Demyx controlled water or something?" Neku asked, not knowing who exactly Demyx was (aside from a vague idea) and more than happy to get off the subject of CPR.

"Yep," Axel replied. "Pretty good musician, too. Played a sitar. Every now and then he'd be playing in his room…without a heart though he just wasn't quite as good, but he still drew attention from everyone else. I think that's why he joined the Organization. He wanted his heart back so he could play like he used to."

"That's a pretty modest reason," Neku commented, staring upward at the star-filled, yet somewhat cloudy sky. "I kinda feel sorry for him."

"Lucky you," Axel muttered. "Demyx was kind of an odd duck, though. He was always slacking off, way too laid back, really gullible, played around more than anything…and pretty obnoxious at times. We didn't get along really well. I didn't hate him or anything, if I could hate…we just didn't get along."

"Where is he now?"

Axel shrugged. "With any luck, he's probably whole again, like the real Axel. Who knows where he is, though…I bet he's off fooling around playing songs for someone right about now."

_He sounds nice enough,_ Neku thought. Bolt, whom had been listening curiously, walked quietly between the two and sat down, one of his ears drooping lazily. With a grin, Neku stroked the little canine's fur. It was wet from the ocean, but still soft.

"Roxas was the only guy I actually liked in the Organization," Axel said after a short silence. "He went for answers, and he left when he couldn't get them. It's something I respect."

That was an interesting way to put it. "Why's that?" Neku asked.

Axel shook his head, sighing. "I kind of doubt Xemnas was really after getting his heart back," he said. "He kept going on about how hearts are only full of anger and hatred and all that junk…who'd want to wake up to that? I know _I_ wouldn't. I think he forgot about the positive side of being whole and he just wanted power, so he gathered up a bunch of people and sweet-talked them into the Organization for his own wants."

"Was that _really_ what he did?"

"Hell if I know. From what Roxas told me about Sora's memory, Xemnas's heartless was a real bastard." The redhead leaned back. "Leaving the Organization is seen as betrayal…I'm not sure why…so I knew something was fishy when I heard about it. Roxas was smarter than everyone else was. He came for answers, found out he wasn't getting them and never would, and left."

"You left the Organization too," Neku added, "Like he did. Why?"

There was a short laugh and Axel shook his head. "I guess I wanted Roxas back. He was my buddy, after all. He was different from everyone else. He didn't want just _any_ heart like the rest of us. He'd only settle for his. That's why he left looking for Sora." A short pause. "He eventually _did_ find him, whether he wanted to or not, but he didn't fade like all other nobodies do. He's kind of still there…still borrowing Sora from time to time when he needs to get something out. A lot of us thought that Roxas had a heart of his own, instead of just being an empty shell like the rest of us. Hanging out with him made me feel like I had one, too."

"Are you happy to be with him again?" Neku asked.

"Of course not," Axel replied, standing. "I'm a nobody. Nobodies can't feel. It's nice to be around Sora, though, even if he's not quite Roxas. They're one and the same, but still different, you know what I mean?"

Neku also stood, eliciting a disgruntled whimper from Bolt, whom stood up and shook off. "Yeah, I guess."

"I just hope the real me remembers him one way or another," The redhead said finally. "That'd be a bummer if I went through all that and I can't even remember him. Anyway…we'd better find the others. I can't open a corridor if they leave us behind, and even if I could I doubt you'd want to experience going into one yourself. It's no picnic."

Agreeing silently, Neku stood. "Sora said this place was called Port Royal," he remembered aloud. "If it's a port, then there should at least be some people around."

Bolt was on the case, sniffing the ground and walking forward a few paces. He glanced up, barked, and trotted forward. Neku and Axel followed.

* * *

"Well, they're not in the port and they're not on the Isla De Muerta," Riku reviewed. "So they're either in the middle of the ocean or they're probably in the ship graveyard."

"Better land than sea, mate," the familiar pirate known as Jack Sparrow commented as he glanced at his compass again.

Sora sighed, remembering how little he liked where the remains of the Interceptor had ended up. "Hopefully Bolt will be with them…or that Ventus guy."

Riku groaned and rolled his eyes. "You know Sora, you could have warned me about this. You've got no map of this place, a half-drunk pirate sailing a decrepit ship – I mean, _geez_, even Hook had a better boat than this one – and a compass that doesn't even point north."

"True," Jack commented, having overheard Riku's tirade, "This compass doesn't point north, but it's not north we're trying to find, savvy?"

The silver-haired boy blinked. "…I don't get it."

"I don't either," Sora admitted quietly, "But just trust him, Riku. He knows what he's doing."

"If you say so," Riku replied, obviously still having his doubts.

_**I have to agree with him, Sora. Jack seems pretty crazy.**_

_You're right; he does seem a bit loopy. He's a lot smarter than he seems, though._

_**I know. I did my research. I still think he's nuts though.**_

_And by research, you mean you went sifting through my memory again?_

_**Does it really matter? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone that you really **_**do**_** like Kairi.**_

_I – you – what did you say?!_

"I don't believe I've ever seen anyone harbor such dislike for the wood paneling before like you, Zola."

"Sora," the keyblade master automatically corrected, doing his best to wipe the sudden frustrated look from his face. _Great. _Now_ look what you've done._

_**Not my fault.**_

_Oh, shut up._

_**We're almost there, Sora. Look.**_

Sure enough, the ship graveyard was coming into view. Sora could make out the remains of the Interceptor as well as an old mess of wooden planks where he had fought his first Gambler nobody for one of the cursed medallions. He felt a twinge of distaste in his chest – probably Roxas mentally recalling something about Luxord – but his spirits were lifted when he heard a familiar bark. "Is that Bolt?" He asked no one in particular.

"You mean that barking noise or that little white spec next to the two people waving at us?" Riku said, smirking.

Jack made a flinching motion that he always did when hesitating before speech. "I take it those are Neko and Pat-shell?"

"Neku and Axel," Sora corrected. "Yeah, that's them." _Thank the worlds, they're safe._

_**And wet. Looks like they went for a swim.**_

Ignoring Roxas's comment, Sora hurried for the dock to see for his own eyes. Neku and Axel (along with Bolt, whom was barking and wagging his tail happily) stood there, soaked with sea water, but looking very much alive.

After setting up the planks to reach the makeshift dock, Neku and Axel boarded the Black Pearl's deck and promptly fell on their backs, Bolt following obediently and laying down, exhausted.

"What _happened_ to you two?!" Riku demanded. "We didn't see you anywhere!"

"You dropped us off in the middle of the ocean," Axel grumbled. "Nice work."

_**We did **_**what**_**?!**_

_Weird. The landing device doesn't change locations on its own…_

_**Not that, Sora. Axel can't swim.**_

_Oh…_

_**We're lucky he's still around.**_

Sora bit his lip, attempting to hide most of his guilt. "Sorry," He muttered.

"At least we're alive," Neku stated, sitting up. "Nice boat you got here."

"It's not ours," Riku said, jabbing a thumb to the wheel. "Belongs to Jack over there."

Jack made his way nimbly down the steps. "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you please."

Neku gave the man a very, very strange look, and then stood. "Captain, then. I take it you know Sora?"

"That I do," Jack replied, his movements as loose and exaggerated as they always were. "Helped me take care of Barbossa and those Organizers."

Sora noticed Neku staring blankly at the man and muttered, "Long story, explain later."

The music-loving boy nodded. "Got it."

"I do so dislike pirates…"

Sora spun around, whipping out the keyblade on pure instinct. There, standing ever-so-calmly on the deck of the Black Pearl, was a figure in black. Judging by the berserkers accompanying him and the accent in his voice, it could be none other than Naxeyv.

* * *

Obviously, the biggest challenge in this chapter was writing Jack. I hope I got him down right. D: Next chapter is going to be way spiffier than this one will ever hope to be...I hope...

Characters Met:

(Captain) Jack Sparrow (_Pirates of the Caribbean/Kingdom Hearts II_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	27. Swords Crossed

I'm going to post this chapter and maybe another before I leave Thursday night for Sakuracon. For those of you wondering, the costume is coming along well (aside from the hat...you'd think living somewhere cold it'd be easier to find fleece, but it's not! DX).

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Swords Crossed  
**

* * *

Freya, Shantotto, Aerith and Kairi were out checking the situation in town and hadn't returned. Rhyme was beginning to grow increasingly worried, but she found interest in a few nearby books (they were highly strange books in themselves, with titles such as _A Beginner's Guide to Shapeshifting_ and _Enchanting for Dimwits_). Shiki had been reading them as well – with great interesnt – when she wasn't busy sewing Axel's new outfit. When Rhyme asked why she was so eager to get started on it, she was met with a shrug and a reminder that she loved sewing, as well as an opinion that black wasn't really Axel's color.

"Zidane left for Twilight Town," Leon reported, entering the headquarters and closing the door securely behind him. "Right when we could use his help the most."

"_More_ of them?" Kairi exclaimed, sighing. "How long do we have to keep this up?"

"Cid's sending a signal to the Excalibur," Yuffie said. "If the others aren't tied up in anything, they'll head back right away."

Rhyme heard and completely understood everything they said. At the rate they were going, it wouldn't be long until the nobodies were swarming over Radiant Garden. But why were they doing such a thing? What were they after? She hugged her knees. If only she had her psyches…

There was a sudden pulse in the air and Rhyme winced, clutching her head. A wave of mild nausea washed over her. What was wrong? She'd _never_ experienced this before…

Apparently noticing her sudden queasiness, Beat placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. "You okay, Rhyme?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I dunno…" was all she managed to say, and even then it was at a low mumble. Her grip on reality was beginning to slip, several visions swept through her mind, too fast for her to grasp.

"You look pale," Shiki said, kneeling down. "Are you alright?"

Rhyme began to answer when her limbs gave way and she collapsed to the floor. She hardly noticed the ethereal wind begin to swarm the room, the air itself becoming thick and almost metallic. Immediately everyone in the room raced toward her.

"Rhyme? Rhyme, what happened?!"

"Someone go get Aerith!"

"Yo, Sis! Hang on! You gonna be okay, I swear!"

But she wasn't so sure. The comforting, familiar touch of the strange girl helped calm her, but the swirling, spiraling energy only grew stronger. Eventually, it became too much for her to handle, and her vision went white.

* * *

_We've got an emergency! Naxeyv's in Port Royal!_

_Hurry! You need to help Neku!_

_How? I'm not going to-_

_He'll understand if you save his life._

_But-_

_Just _hurry_, Ven! I've got my own hands full; Rhyme's losing control, and it could get violent if I don't intervene!_

_Right. Keep her in check!_

_I'll do what I can! Just go!_

* * *

"Naxeyv," Neku hissed. "What're you doing here?"

"I thought you already did away with those Organizers, Zola," Jack Sparrow commented lazily. "Unless this is a friend of yours, I daresay you have interesting taste if he doesn't like honorable pirates such as us."

Sora didn't bother correcting the man and shook his head. "Trust me; he's no friend of mine."

"I'm hurt," Naxeyv said. "Here I thought we could get along. Then again, after you killed Zarxilt, I had my doubts that you'd want to be friendly again."

Neku scoffed. "Damn right."

"I don't mean to intrude on this _lovely_ reunion," Jack interjected, "But unless you intend on joining my crew and helping me sail the Pearl, I'd suggest you get off my ship and take your friends with you."

Naxeyv bowed politely. "Oh, I have no intention of staying," he replied, pulling back his hood and revealing a sharp-featured visage framed by long, neatly combed black hair, part of which threatened to obscure his right eye. "I'm here for Young Master Sakuraba, and I'll promptly be leaving afterward."

"I'm afraid he's already employed," Sparrow replied, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword and tapping a finger impatiently.

"Very well, then. I'll have to take him by force."

"Not if I can help it!" Sora cried, sending a wave of ice toward Naxeyv. The man laughed, holding up a small, glimmering blue stone in his hand. The ice that had made for his chest redirected in mid-fire and shrunk, absorbing into the crystal in his hand. Any trace of the spell that had been present were gone.

Bolt, whom had been standing his ground, growled loudly, his ears flat against his skull and his tail straight. His teeth were bared and ready to sink into anyone who came to close.

Neku clenched his fists. "Nethicite," he groaned. "It figures."

The berserkers lunged without warning, and Neku found himself dodging to the side just as a hammer would have crushed his skull. Sora and Riku summoned their keyblades and went on the defensive, with Axel holding back any of the nobodies that he could manage. Even Jack Sparrow had his sword drawn, and was doing quite a good job keeping the enemy at bay.

"This is nuts!" Sora cried. "No one get too hurt; with that Nethicite absorbing magic, I can't heal us!"

_Convenient,_ Neku complained inwardly. As one of the Berserkers flung itself at him, he heard a sudden flow of high-paced orchestral music in his ears and the blow was deflected, Music of Shibuya appearing in his hands. He wasn't sure which to be more surprised with: the fact that it had appeared without warning, or the very catchy tune he was now hearing. _I could have sworn I heard that from a movie before. Maybe it's just me._

Blows were exchanged as Neku lunged into the fray, beating back any Berserker that got in his way. They were even tougher than they had been in Agrabah, and it wasn't long before Neku found himself cornered. The others were at the other end of the boat, and Naxeyv was hovering out of reach, tossing the nethecite every now and then and smirking.

_We can't keep this up!_ Neku lamented. _There's got to be no end to these things!_

"I'd love to stay and watch," Naxeyv finally said, "But I have some business at the Isla De Muerta. Come visit if you have a chance." And he vanished into a Dark Corridor, taking the Nethicite with him.

In spite of being allowed to use magic without the threat of it being absorbed, everyone was downright exhausted. Sora lifted the keyblade to cast a cure spell, but promptly found himself having to defend again. Neku felt a hammer slam into his back and he was sent skidding across the deck. A Berserker came hurling down from the sky. _This is it, isn't it…_ He thought. _I'm going to…I'm sorry, Shiki…_

There was a sudden flash of blue and Neku suddenly felt himself standing. Another Berserker sent a blow toward Neku, but Music of Shibuya blocked it, and Neku leapt out of the way.

**Ugh, I **_**hate**_** doing this!**

Neku felt control come back and be blinked. What was that voice in his head? "Ve-"

**There's no time to explain, Neku! Just follow my lead!**

"And how am I supposed to do that?" He cried, the sounds of the battle drowning his voice.

**You'll know what to do. Just relax and go with it!**

And suddenly he was handling the keyblade with utmost expertise. Berserkers flew like rag dolls. Sora finally found enough space to pull out a Curaga and keep going. Riku made perfect use of one of the ropes on the ship and swung past the fray, slicing as he went. Jack caught one of the nobodies from behind and startled it into a forward stumble, sending it falling into the sea. Sora sent one hurling into the air, and Neku finished it with a slash of the keyblade. Bolt managed to grab several Berserkers by a leg or waist – whichever he reached first – and spared no mercy for them, snarling as he went from one to the other. He wasn't doing much, but he definitely helped thin the still-growing crowd.

Eventually, the world around him became a blur. More and more berserkers kept appearing, and even with his sudden bursts of energy and guidance from Ventus, Neku knew he could only keep up for so long.

* * *

Uzuki clamed her hands over her ears. "Geez! This is crazy!"

"More than that," Kariya added, gritting his teeth. "In all my time in the Game, this has _never_ happened. Shibuya's music usually stays way more stable than that."

She knew that there was no way to put it accurately enough with words alone. Even the noise were frantic. It was almost like Shibuya was falling apart, but Uzuki had a feeling that such an event would be far more hectic than now. "Where's the Composer?!" She grunted. "He didn't leave Shibuya, did he?"

"If he does, then the UG might collapse," Kariya replied, finally managing to stand. "I think ol' Megs said something about there being an exception to the rule, but he never told me what it was."

"Whatever," Uzuki replied. "As much as I hate to say it…we'd better go find that Hanekoma guy. If anything, he'll probably know what to do about this."

Kariya nodded, staggering to his feet. "Yeah. If this keeps up I think I'm going to lose my inner hearing…or worse."

* * *

Neku could barely stand. Sora kept himself standing only by leaning on the keyblade. Riku was on his knees. Axel was slouched over. Bolt's tongue lolled out of his mouth and his ears and tail drooped from fatigue. Jack Sparrow was the only one ready for more, and even he looked about at his wit's end. "I don't recall setting up a party like _this _on my ship," he panted.

"More like an assault if you ask me," Riku wheezed.

There was a sudden pressure on all sides and Neku cried out, ignoring concerned shouts from Sora. The music shifted and rose to an incredibly loud level. He clutched his ear with one hand and grit his teeth, the tune only rapidly amplifying itself. The final remaining group of berserkers was readying an assault when a slim, human-shaped figure leapt from above, a glow of white in his hand. The glow grew brighter as he shouted in rage.

"You are _done_!"

A pillar of white light swamped the entire deck of the Black Pearl, and the soundless cries of the berserkers rang in Neku's ears. The music in his ears grew soft, almost silent, and he knew that the danger to him had left. The keyblade left his hand without him wanting it to, but his attention was elsewhere. The light died down, leaving a boy in place of the berserkers. A very _familiar_ boy.

"Lovely light show there," Jack commented casually, "Though I daresay it's a bit bright for my tastes."

Their savior stood casually on the deck, brushing some hair out of his eyes. "You probably already know this, but I hate working up a sweat."

Neku could hardly believe who he was seeing. "J…_Joshua_?!"

* * *

Wait...what's he doing here? …We'll find out! n.n

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	28. Just Another Tool

Whew...back from Sakuracon, and it was a blast! _Beware of Shark _also got runner-up for best laugh in the fanfic contest.

I'm exhausted...but here's chapter 27!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Just Another Tool**

* * *

"Lord Meyxours…the Composer has left Shibuya."

Meyxours quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? What is the state of things there?"

Jaxuk bowed lowly. "Far more chaotic than usual. Everything is out of control. Until things calm down there, I'm afraid we will not be able to obtain…"

"…I see. With our access blocked, we will have to hunt down the Composer as well. I wonder why Shibuya has not caved in on itself?"

"The proxy, sir. We think it may be him."

"I see…and what of the girl?"

"Awakened. She will be a nuisance if she remains that way."

Meyxours nodded. "Very well…initiate the plan, Jaxuk."

Jaxuk bowed and gave his superior a bloodthirsty smile. "With pleasure, sir. Soon, all of the actors will be in place…"

* * *

"Joshua?" Neku cried. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

"Did you miss me?" Joshua replied. "Shibuya's been rather lonely without you, you know.

Riku gawked and spoke before Neku could come up with a retort. "You're the guy that helped us past security at the concert! I knew you knew Sora, but I had no idea you could…"

Joshua shrugged. "Like I said, I hate working up a sweat."

Neku crossed his arms. "Why do you keep showing up?" he demanded.

The composer made a little smirk and pushed his hair out of his face like he always did. "Well, I _could_ be your little guardian angel, hehehe."

"That's not funny," Neku snarled, "And you're the _last_ person I'd want to be my so-called guardian angel." _Besides, Ventus is actually doing a pretty good job of that as of late…_

**Thanks, I guess.**

Neku nearly jumped out of his skin. _Gah! You're still there?!_

**Sorry. I can't exactly hop out whenever I want to. If anyone saw me I'm pretty sure it'd cause uproar.**

_Please tell me I'm still in control._

**One hundred percent. Right now I'm just a voice in your head.**

_Gee, that's a relief._

**It's no fun for me either.**

"Would someone mind telling me who this lad is?" Jack said, intervening.

"You may call me Joshua," the platinum-blonde boy replied, grinning.

Jack quirked an eyebrow oddly. "Old friend of yours, Sora?"

"Sort of," the brunette replied.

Jack nodded. "Well, then, Joshua," he began, "_You_ may refer to _me_ as _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. And if you don't mind, I don't take any free passengers on this ship, so I'll be having you work, thank you. We'll be heading off."

Neku fully expected Joshua to protest to being under someone else's leash, but he went to work with the rest of them without complaining. He began to believe that it was partially due to Joshua knowing the rules of the outside worlds, and he wasn't to reveal his identity. While the group traveled over the sea, Jack finally allowed them off their posts and they made for the cabin while he kept steering on deck.

It was then that Joshua requested Neku and Sora's attention, and naturally everyone else listened as well.

"What do you want this time?" Neku grumbled.

But Joshua didn't smirk. He didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. His face was dead serious, and his tone of voice was matched perfectly. "Shibuya began to act up not long after your little disappearance, Neku. Luckily nothing serious has happened, but it's been hard keeping the noise under control."

"Under control?" Sora echoed. "I know they missed a lot of chow time when the heartless were around, but…what's going on?"

"Shibuya's music," Joshua began, "Has been pulsing abnormally."

Neku felt an emotion akin to alarm flare in the back of his mind. No. If _anyone_ would even _dare_ to harm Shibuya… "What do you mean, abnormally?" He demanded, doing his best to keep his voice monotone and calm as possible, but there was still anger seeping through.

Joshua noticed, as implied from his stare, but didn't respond to it. "Immediately after you left, it seemed to rise in volume and fluctuate. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Neku echoed. "Why?"

"Your home is Shibuya, right?" Sora suggested. "Maybe that had something to do with it."

"That's right," Joshua replied. "As my proxy, Neku was actually a very, _very_ important individual in Shibuya. That means he is closely tied to it."

The feeling came again, and Neku almost took a step back. Just what was Joshua getting at…?

"As Shibuya's Composer," Joshua continued, "I naturally have authority over what happens in the city. I could erase it at the snap of a finger if I so desired it. In spite of this, the fluctuation of music is far beyond my control. It should be my responsibility to guard Shibuya, but all of my efforts to sedate these recent events have not once worked. The music only began to calm _after_ Neku was absent for several long hours, and even then the anxiety will not leave entirely."

"A world is a sentient entity," Riku muttered, crossing his arms and staring at the wooden floor. "Worlds have hearts just like people do. If Neku leaving caused Shibuya to act up like you're saying it is…"

"Then I need to go back," Neku said, "Don't I?"

"No," Joshua replied. "Not now, Neku. I know about your situation with the Zoners, and bringing them to Shibuya could be disastrous. Besides, I'd like to ask you something."

"One condition," Sora interjected.

Joshua was caught by surprise; a rare event. He gained his usual smirk and brushed some hair out of his eyes. "Oh? Putting strings on this? That's unlike you, Sora. Do you not trust me?"

"Well, you _did_ kill me," Sora admitted, "But that doesn't make me not trust you. I know why you did it. I just want to know what's going on with Rhyme. I think we have a right to know."

"But I thought you already figured it out," Joshua replied. After a short silence involving Neku giving the hardest glare he could to the Composer, Joshua shrugged. "Fine. I'll tell you once we finish _my_ end of the deal. Have you been hearing music, Neku?"

_He sure gets to the point,_ Neku grumbled. "Yeah. Sort of."

"Shibuya's music, to be exact?"

"Yep."

"How often?"

"Only under certain circumstances."

Joshua seemed contemplative. Neku felt something prod at the back of his mind, but he ignored it. After a few moments, Joshua crossed his arms. "Care to tell me what those circumstances are?"

At this Neku hesitated. He trusted Joshua, sure, but how was he supposed to explain the keyblade? It showed up whenever it wanted to, which was usually when he was in some serious danger. He took a deep breath. "Basically, it kind of decides on its own when to show up." He was going to leave it at that when Joshua gave him an inquiring look. He sighed.

**You know, you might as well tell him. He might be able to help.**

_That egotistical bowl of snot?_

**Yes, him. I mean, he **_**is**_** the Composer.**

_Good point…ugh… _"Usually when I'm in danger…it'll show up on its own."

"Think you can make it happen again?" Joshua suggested.

"Probably," Neku replied, "But I'm not entirely sure how."

"Imagine the danger," Riku said suddenly. All eyes turned to him, and he stood from where he had been leaning against the wall. "That's usually the most effective way. It knows it's not being deceived, but it also knows what you want it to do."

Joshua turned back to Neku and placed his hands in his pockets, giving him a straightforward look. "I'm waiting," he said simply, crossing his arms in impatience.

Neku took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes, conjuring an image of a dragoon nobody, or maybe one of those berserkers. He felt his fingers began to tingle, and the sound of war drums entered his ears before a quiet chorus of voices began to sing.

_**Yo ho, all together…**_

The tingling grew stronger and his fingers began to spread outward. A calm flow of energy came to his heart. Some unseen force began to drag his arm upward. Though Neku didn't see it, there was a small flare of energy in his hand beginning to spark to life.

_**Hoist the colors high…**_

His arm reached outward, and the flow of energy grew stronger. The flare brightened, and its color began to waver unstably. Joshua watched, eyes narrow in thought. The song in Neku's ears…no, it was in his _mind._ It began to pulse with life, and grew louder. Had it been his ears, it would be deafening, but since it came from within it didn't harm him…it _empowered_ him.

_**Heave ho, thieves and beggars…**_

The energy flared out of his hand and elongated into a familiar shape. The sensation in his hand grew strong and his senses flared to life, every sound reaching his ears. The scent of wood filled his nostrils, and he could even _feel_ the staleness of the air and the warmth coming from the lit lanterns across the room. But this time, something was different…he could feel something else with his mind. Something he wasn't sure of.

_**Never shall we die…**_

Neku's eyes snapped open to see Music of Shibuya in his hand, clutched tightly in his fingers. Joshua had an expression close to shock on his face. Neku hardly noticed the world around him; it took a few moments to adjust to the keyblade's power and regain his mental balance. The Composer seemed to know when he was done experiencing inward vertigo and his stern expression became even more severe. "Just as I thought," he said. "Neku, do you realize what that is?"

"A keyblade, I think," Neku replied.

"That's _precisely_ what it is," Joshua replied. "A keyblade is technically a manifestation of power, only bestowed on the worthy. It's easier to access your heart's power if your heart has been unlocked. I never told you this, but I made sure to lock yours after your final Game so that no harm would come to you. Your contact with Sora seemed to weaken that lock a little, though it looks like someone has finished it off recently."

Neku felt Ventus shifting awkwardly in the back of his mind, but heard no comment. He would have ignored it anyway, as Joshua's own words gave him quite a shock. "What do you mean…? Why did you-"

"I thought you wanted to know about Rhyme," Joshua replied, avoiding the subject. "I've asked my question and I've got my answer. Now I'll answer yours. Rhyme isn't any different now than she was before."

"Liar," Neku grumbled under his breath, disgruntled at both being cut off and by the vague answer.

Joshua laughed. "I heard that. But I guess I owe an explanation anyway. When Sora allowed her contact with the keyblade, he allowed her to come in contact with his heart and, subsequently, something that was once her entry fee."

"Rhyme doesn't have a heart?!" Riku blurted. "What the _hell_?!"

"She has a heart all right," Joshua corrected, "And a powerful one at that. Her entry fee for the Reaper's Game was lost forever after she was erased: ambition, dreams, call it what you want. The keyblade may have done something to her in the process, and that combined with the shock of the first contact sent her into that coma. She's fine now, although I'd wager that the people in Radiant Garden are noticing a few…_differences_ right about now."

"That's not funny," Sora growled. "She's not hurt, is she?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, not hurt. Maybe feeling a bit ill if anything. Or should I say…_sensitive_?"

Sora stared blankly. "What…?"

**Sensitive…he's got to be kidding.**

_Got any ideas?_

**Hopefully I'll be right…the only alternative is way too dangerous.**

"We'd better get back up on deck," Joshua said, changing the subject suddenly. "I doubt our Captain can dock this thing by himself." And with that he walked out the door.

Riku stared at the door before rolling his eyes. "Is he always like that?"

"He tends to be a lot worse," Neku replied in distaste. "If Shibuya's been acting up, I can understand why he's uptight, but there's obviously something else bothering him."

"You think?" Axel said. "He's been giving you a weird look ever since he walked…well, jumped on the boat."

Neku blinked. He hadn't even noticed; he was so intent on listening to what Joshua was explaining for once. "What…kind of look?"

"Hell if I know," the redhead replied, making for the door. "I can't tell if he was suspicious, mad, or worried. Kinda seems like a little of all three." With that, he went outside, Riku following closely behind.

Sora stared blankly. "Odd. Not every day Axel says stuff like that." He then blinked and shook his head a few times.

"Why's that?" Neku asked, knowing that it wasn't Sora that had spoken but leaving the issue for later.

There was an instant of silence before Sora shrugged. "Roxas says Axel is only like that when he's dead serious…and that's not very often. Come on; we'd better go help Jack." He exited.

Neku sighed, starting forward when he heard something shuffle behind him. He turned, expecting to see Bolt heading out to follow, but the dog was instead staring wide-eyed at a deep blue light in the air. Neku's own expression changed. "What the…"

The light shifted, changing into the vague image of a girl roughly Shiki's age. He couldn't make her out very clearly – her image flickered very unstably – but he knew she was no enemy. "There you are," she said, sounding out of breath. "And he's safe. Good."

There was a wash of warm light and Neku stumbled back as Ventus appeared in front of him. "What are you doing here?!" The ghostly figure demanded, struggling to keep his voice quiet. "You're supposed to be-"

"Rhyme is out of control," the girl replied. "She'll hold off anyone that tries to attack her for a few minutes, but it won't be long before it gets dangerous for everyone. I'm using what time I have to warn you."

"What?!" Neku cried. "What's wrong with Rhyme? What do you mean she's out of control?!"

The girl ignored him. "Ven, have you found Naxeyv yet?"

"He ran," Ventus replied, "But we know where he is."

"Then finish up and haul your butt back to Radiant Garden," the girl said frantically. "There are Nobodies all over the place. If we don't do something soon then something's going to destabilize entirely: Rhyme, Shibuya, or _everything_."

_Shibuya?_ Neku echoed mentally. _What does Shibuya have to do with all this? Why isn't anyone giving me any answers?!_

"I'll do what I can," Ventus said. "Make sure Rhyme doesn't turn-"

"She already has, Ven. There's no time to lose. Destroy Naxeyv and _get Neku over here_." With that, she vanished.

Neku made a connection very, very fast. He stared at Ventus in disbelief. "It can't be…"

"What?" Ventus said.

He couldn't bring himself to say it. He turned around, fists clenched. Rhyme was in trouble, that much he knew. So was Radiant Garden. But for those two to talk about him like that…it was far too familiar. He had been through something very much like this before.

"Neku-"

"Leave me alone," Neku replied darkly, shooting a glare at Ventus. "I'm not a baby. I can get to the gardens on my own without _your_ help." And with that he walked outside, ignoring Ventus's protest.

* * *

"She's not calming down by much," Aerith said, attempting to hold Rhyme steady. The girl was sitting on the bed, shivering as though she had been stuck in a freezer. "The resonance that caused her coma may be related to this."

Shiki bit her lip. "Can't we do anything?"

"No," Aerith replied, standing. "There's absolutely nothing I can do."

Shantotto, whom had swapped places with Yuffie, crossed her arms. "I never thought I'd say this, heaven forbid, but her condition looks to be even beyond Yen Sid."

Freya gave Shantotto a stern yet frightened glance. Shantotto was an extremely powerful magician herself, but even she could never hope to compare to Yen Sid. If Rhyme's condition was so severe…would there be any hope at all?

Beat was unusually quiet. He placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Rhyme…" he said quietly. "You gonna be okay. I swear."

Bur Rhyme's eyes were blank, staring at the floor. Her lips were muttering something, but it wasn't entirely audible. Finally, she picked up her knees and buried her head behind them. "I'm scared…"

"There's nothing to be frightened of," Freya said, though she knew there was little comfort to be had. "Nothing can enter here without our knowing."

"Can't you feel it?" Rhyme insisted. "It…it's making my head hurt…" She seemed to sink lower. "It's like I'm drowning…I can hardly breathe…"

Freya immediately knew what was happening to Rhyme. She stood. "Shantotto, Aerith, you need to leave immediately. Replace Leon and Kairi."

Aerith nodded quietly and stood, though she looked rather flustered. Shantotto, however, didn't take well to being given orders. "May I remind you that I am ambassador, and you've no right to give me commands, whatever for?"

The dragoon gave the small woman a look that would have peeled paint. "Lady Shantotto, I think I may know what's causing this. If you and Aerith leave, or at least distance yourselves from her for now, it may help relieve Rhyme's condition."

Shantotto paused, a realization coming over her face, and nodded. "Very well." And she left.

Sure enough, a few moments after they left, Rhyme calmed slightly. Freya uncrossed her arms and stared in concern. "I was right," she muttered. "But how? She's only a human…"

But something was different. Something was very, _very_ different.

* * *

_How's Rhyme?_

_She's fine, at least for now. There's an aftershock, but I think that dragoon caught on to what was making it worse. A bit of my power managed to help, thankfully._

_That's good…_

_Why the long face?_

_Neku doesn't trust me anymore. I know it was an emergency back when you contacted me, but now he thinks we're…_

_I'm sorry, Ven._

_It's going to take a lot to win back his trust. I told you I don't like doing this._

_I don't either, but it's better than being stuck here, and you know what will happen if those Zoners…_

_Yeah. I know. But still…I feel bad._

_There's nothing we can do. Go keep an eye on him, but if you're that nervous don't let him see you._

_Yeah…_

_And Ven?_

_Hm?_

…_Good luck._

_Thanks._

* * *

He couldn't stay out of Shibuya for very long, but he also knew that his presence was needed here. Joshua stared out at the open sea while he pondered this. Without a Composer, Shibuya would surely perish, but when the music had gone beyond his control, he had a feeling he knew what was behind it. That power that his proxy had finally found within himself…he had sensed it when they first met at Udagawa, and it had grown tremendously. _Neku Sakuraba…he's special, alright._

The cabin door slammed closed and a familiar boy stomped out, his usual glare locked on the ground. Joshua sensed that the music around the boy had gone in disarray; something had severely upset him.

Joshua gave Neku his usual grin and approached. "We can't do anything to speed up the ship, I'm afraid. You'll just have to sit tight before you can have your fun with Naxeyv."

"I'm tired of being used," Neku replied blandly.

Oh. So that's what this was about. Joshua leaned over the rail next to his former proxy. "If anyone else had been my proxy for the game, Neku, Shibuya probably would have-"

Neku shook his head. "I'm not talking about the stupid game. This whole mess with the Zoners, the nobodies…I thought _Ventus_ was trying to help me. But he's not."

Ventus…that was a familiar name. So that's what he was doing nowadays. Perhaps Neku could use a bit of persuasion. After all, Joshua knew of all people that Shibuya depended on it. He glanced at Neku briefly. "Tell me why the Zoners were after you, Neku."

"Pfft. You should already know that."

As predicted. Joshua remained silent. Finally, Neku rolled his eyes. "Fine. They were using me as a power source to revive Organization XIII for some reason I'm probably better off not knowing. Now that they know I'm not going to help them, and I'm probably not capable, they're going to kill me."

"And if you don't kill them first?" Joshua said. He knew Neku had very different ideas of death, but he didn't particularly care.

Neku hesitated, looking flustered. In spite of how cute the expression was, Joshua didn't bother showing his amusement. This was far more serious than the Game had been, especially considering that Shibuya's fate wasn't his to decide at the moment. Finally, the boy spoke, one hand coming up to rest on his headphones. "They'll either kill me," he began quietly, "Torture me into helping them, or they'll find another power source…and I have a feeling the one they're thinking of isn't one they have a right to use."

Joshua grinned. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. "How much do you know about Sora's own adventure?"

The ex-player glanced at Sora, whom was busy climbing up one of the rope ladders. Bolt was barking at him playfully, and the brunette stopped to tease the dog a few times before abandoning his previous task and descending to play with the canine. Neku shrugged. "He said that the heartless destroyed his home world two years ago, right when the keyblade chose him. He ended up with two of the king's servants, whom told him he'd be able to find his friends, but they were more concerned with finding the king. After he took down the leader of the heartless, he ended up being manipulated via memory in a place called Castle Oblivion, and after that Organization XIII used him to gather hearts."

"And how do you condense that into less than ten words?" Joshua said.

Neku paused, staring at the sea. "He was being used."

"And?"

"…and apparently it didn't bother him," Neku added after a moment. He began to smile. "I can kind of see why. All these different places and people…it _is_ pretty amazing. Scary, but amazing. Plus, he wanted to find his friends. And there was that promise to Kairi, too." He looked upward at the stars. "He said his home world came back, but he didn't go back there until Organization XIII was gone. I guess he thought he had a responsibility."

There we go. On the right track again. "That's right," Joshua said, pushing his hair out of his way like he usually did. "And if he hadn't done what he did, many worlds would probably not exist right now, including Shibuya."

"Wha…?"

"Sora has a very heavy responsibility," He continued. "The keyblade master, if I'm not wrong, is directly tied to Kingdom Hearts itself. Sora has been within its depths once, though he might not have been thinking clearly enough to comprehend it at the time, and Riku himself has been inside it twice: once alone, the second time alongside his friend. As the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts holds a great amount of power and knowledge, more than every composer combined. Every world is tied to it, even Shibuya. Sora alone is charged with protecting Kingdom Hearts, and even knowing that he was being used, he never once failed in two long years."

"How does he stay so cheerful?" Neku asked no one in particular. "A promise alone can't keep _that_ up…"

Joshua shrugged. "He's generally an optimistic person," was his reply. "But he did meet his own moments of depression, I'm sure."

Neku sighed. "Look, Joshua. I don't know if I'm up for this. I don't want anyone getting hurt, sure, but I don't like being anyone's tool either way. And even then, I might not be strong enough."

At that, Joshua nearly spat with disgust. After all this time, Neku was still pulling that on him? "Dear, dear Neku…you do realize _why_ I chose you as my proxy, correct?"

The boy tensed considerably. "What's that got to do with this?"

"You have an incredibly powerful Imagination, Neku," he continued, smirking at Neku's confused expression. In spite of its importance, this was rather amusing. "In the game, you were able to use any pin you found with no difficulty whatsoever. You took down nearly every Reaper thrown at you and erased a good number of them. You were even able to defeat Kitaniji when he had absorbed not only _my_ power, but that of your friends as well. And, probably the most important of all of it, you have the ability to summon Noise without being a reaper."

Neku stared at Joshua like he grew five heads. It was highly amusing. "Wha…summon noise? When did I do that?"

"We're here!" Sora shouted. "The Isla De Muerta!"

Ah, perfect timing as always. Joshua stood up and headed across the deck. "You might want to get ready to land, Neku. I hope you're ready."

Neku already was. His gaze was stern, and his fists were clenched. His music had set itself to a determined, high-speed pace. Joshua grinned. _There we go. All better._ "By the way…you should take this." He tossed a small round object at Neku.

The proxy caught the object with relative ease. "…a pin?" he said. "But…I don't recognize this one. It looks kind of like Rhyme's noise pin, but...it's different."

Joshua smirked. "It's a special pin I had made in the case of an emergency," he replied, "Besides, I would have given you a player pin, but you don't need one to scan."

"…say what?"

"We'd better get going, Neku. Can't keep Naxeyv waiting, can we?"

Neku glared at Joshua like there was no next Tuesday, but the Composer didn't mind. No explanation would be needed; he was confident Neku would figure this all out.

_After all…he _is_ my proxy._

* * *

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	29. The Ruthless Emperor

Sorry for the slow update everyone…having a bit of life trouble x.x Also, everyone, I hate repeating myself but…PLEASE do not spoil anything in the reviews, like who each Zoner is. It could be painfully obvious to you whom one of them is, but not everyone will know. Thanks! n.n

Also, I've already got the worlds that will be visited set in my mind. I will write others as omake if I have time. With any luck this thing will be under 40 chapters…

By the way, a hint on one of the upcoming worlds… Tron never really found _that_ much in those scans, did he? (winkwink)

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Ruthless Emperor**

* * *

The Isla De Muerta was no doubt a foreboding place. Neku didn't need Music of Shibuya to tell him that whatever tune hung around here would send chills up his spine. Joshua seemed calm as ever, Axel was particular about getting off of the boat, and Riku was hard to read as usual. Jack and Sora knew the place rather well. Bolt, on the other hand, didn't look too happy to be here, what with all the snarling he was doing.

"Naxeyv is in there," Riku muttered. "Larsa's brother…or at least his brother's nobody."

Bolt growled.

"He's not Larsa's brother anymore," Sora corrected his friend. "It's just what's left of him…"

_Larsa said he had to strike down his brother's heartless in his home world,_ Neku reminded himself. _If that's any indication, then his nobody's definitely worse._

"Might I ask how you know this Naxeyv fellow?" Jack said.

_Oh yeah. We never did explain. _"He's part of a group called the Zoners," Neku began, crossing his arms. "They're after me because I refused to help them…didn't really help that I killed off one of their members, either. Naxeyv's trying to return the favor, long story short."

Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Cheerful fellow," he commented dryly.

"He'll probably still have that Nethicite with him," Joshua stated. "Be ready for anything."

_**Neku…**_

_Mind telling me who you are?_

_**Naxeyv hides within nothing…**_

…_huh?_

_**To find him…listen to that which you cannot hear…**_

_That makes no sense whatsoever._

"Neku, you coming?"

The boy snapped out of his daze and saw Sora waving him in. "Yeah…I'm coming."

He hesitated again, however, when Bolt gave a whimper. Neku knelt down and stroked the dog's back. "It's gonna be okay, Bolt."

The canine didn't seem too sure, but he shook off a little and started forward anyway. Neku followed the rest of the group inwards.

The caverns were riddled with natural "windows" to the sea outside, and the way the moonlight filtered in was downright eerie. Neku and Bolt were the only ones really bothered by it; Sora and Jack had been there before, it was hard to frighten Riku, Axel just stared ahead with a narrow gaze, and Joshua…well, who knew what _he_ was thinking.

The final room was entirely different from the rest of the cavern leading to it. It was far more open, and the center of it was home to a small stone platform. Scattered about the cavern were various treasures, many in gold, and atop the platform was none other than…

"Naxeyv," Joshua said casually. "So kind of you to wait for us."

"Well, if it isn't the Composer himself," Naxeyv commented, grinning. "I thought Shibuya would collapse without your presence."

"Shibuya seems to be composing itself as of late," Joshua retorted. "Though I cannot remain away for long, I'm certain that my absence will have no permanent side effects."

"You know each other?" Neku asked, gawking.

"Somewhat," Joshua replied before returning to the Nobody. "I do wonder how you managed to find a piece of Deifacted Nethicite. As far as I know you have no access to Ivalice, and that piece in Agrabah was quite heavily guarded."

"I have my ways," Naxeyv said, "But that is of no importance. You are no further use to us, Neku Sakuraba…only an obstacle which must be removed."

A burst of energy swarmed forward, making its way toward Neku and blasting everyone else out of the way. Neku shielded himself in vain, but a familiar warm feeling washed over him and he found himself diving forward and underneath the strike. His legs moved for him, and he found himself leaping upright. _Wha…_

**Sorry Neku, but whether I have to overshadow you or not, I'm **_**not**_** letting you get hurt.**

Neku almost gawked childishly. _Ventus! What're you doing here?_

**You're my **_**friend**_**, Neku. I'm not about to watch you get your butt kicked by this guy.**

_Don't think you're off the hook about earlier._

**I'll explain everything. I promise. Now let's finish this.**

* * *

"How're things in here, Cid?"

The engineer shook his head. "Not as bad as the crowd of Nobodies outside, that's for sure. Are they crowding the cavern, too?"

Xenuk nodded. "Yeah. Leon says a group of us could cut through if we had to, but otherwise it's too dangerous."

Cid swore. "That means the computer's off limits unless we group up…but that means leaving the town _and_ headquarters wide open. We can't risk that."

"I know," Xenuk muttered. "Destroying the computer is out of the question if we want to keep Axel as an ally, but otherwise it's the only solution we've got. Getting rid of the Zoners is our only alternative."

"How's headquarters, anyway?" Cid asked. "I haven't been there in ages."

Xenuk winced. "Rhyme's gone out of control," he began. "Control of what, I don't know…I just know that whatever's going on with her is running amok. They're barely managing to keep her calm enough to where she doesn't hurt herself or anyone else."

"Geez…did you guys send a distress signal to the Excalibur yet?"

"Yeah, but we haven't gotten a response yet. They're probably dealing with some Nobodies there; they'll come the moment they're done there."

Cid sighed. "I sure hope so. In the meantime, I think I've got an idea on how to bypass that cavern completely…"

* * *

Neku hadn't even bothered summoning Music of Shibuya; then again he didn't have the chance to in-between dodging attacks from Naxeyv or the attacks from the Berserkers that he kept summoning. Sora and Riku were having at Naxeyv with their keyblades, Joshua had taken to hovering and blasting away any of the stray berserkers that came too close, Jack was helping Joshua, and Bolt was snapping at anything that came near to him. Ventus was helping Neku dodge when he could, but otherwise they weren't even making a dent.

"I am growing weary of this child's play," Naxeyv complained idly. "I intend to eliminate you, but I see that I may have to extract more of my power to do so." And with that, he vanished, taking his berserkers with him. The room became completely silent.

"Odd," Jack commented. "Normally eliminating someone requires a bit more violence than this."

"Yeah," Axel agreed, spinning a chakram in his hand. "Just what is he doing?"

Bolt growled, baring his teeth as his fur rose along his spine. Neku felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and he clenched his hands into fists. _Where is he?_

**Hiding like a coward. He's probably planning on sneaking up on us.**

Hiding…of course. Neku narrowed his eyes. _That voice earlier…it said something about him hiding in the silence._

**Then I say that silence needs to go.**

_Good call._ With a deep breath, Neku held out his hand and closed his eyes, calling on Music of Shibuya. _I hope this works._

The moment the keyblade Neku was able to wield appeared in his hands, a soft tune reached his ears. It resonation almost caused Neku to fumble; such an empty melody could not possibly exist, and it certainly had no place here. Within the melody, he could feel a malevolence that set him on edge.

_Of course!_ Neku cried. _'That which you cannot hear'…they were referring to the music!_

**But what's that even mean?**

_I don't know, but I have an idea…_

It came from the left. Neku kept his eyes closed and sped forward, several other tunes soaring past him as though he were flipping through channels on an old-fashioned FM Radio. After only moments, only the empty song remained, becoming louder and louder. He lashed out blindly with the keyblade, almost surprising himself when he felt it make contact with something.

"Urgh…how could you-?!"

Neku opened his eyes, He had struck Naxeyv on the shoulder and made a nice gash down to his chest without even needing his eyesight. _Yes! I figured it out!_

With Naxeyv now visible, attacks were launched. Riku began firing a wave of dark firaga, but could only stand and stare as Naxeyv grinned and held up a familiar stone, absorbing the blackened flames. "I'm afraid that won't work on me."

"Fancy rock you've got there," Jack stated, waving his sword tip in a circle as he prepared for any sudden lunge.

"We need to get that Nethicite away from him," Sora muttered, "Otherwise we can't use magic, which means if any of us get hurt I can't heal you."

"And how do you suggest we go about retrieving that stone?" Jack asked. "I doubt that he'll give it to us like a proper gentleman."

Neku bit his lip. Sora was right; they needed to get that stone away from Naxeyv. Whether he used it or not, he knew from Larsa that it was too dangerous. The question was…how were they going to get it from him?

A growl caught Neku's attention. He glanced down to see Bolt crouched low, snarling more viciously than ever. He grinned. _You thinking what I'm thinking?_

**I most certainly think I am, Neku.**

Neku grinned at the dog next to him and pointed to Naxeyv. "Bolt, _fetch_!"

Bolt didn't need an explanation. He took off, racing forward at Naxeyv and catching the nobody off guard when he pounced on him. The Nethicite flew out of his hand, and Bolt rebounded off of Naxeyv's chest, leaping upward and snatching the stone out of midair, skidding to a stop next to Neku.

Naxeyv sneered, clenching his fist. "Why, you…"

In response, Neku only smiled and took the stone from Bolt, patting him on the head. "Good boy." Bolt yipped happily in response.

Axel gave a low, admiring whistle. "Nice move, Neku."

"Don't thank me," Neku replied. "Thank Bolt."

"Now that your rock is out of the way," Riku commented, "We can finish this a bit more quickly." He began to summon another dark flame to his hand.

But Naxeyv only laughed. "It matters not who has the Nethicite. As long as it is nearby, you cannot use your magic to harm me!"

Joshua crossed his arms. "Magic, or Imagination?"

The nobody's grin faltered. "Wha…?!"

"Care to do the honors, Neku?" Joshua said, giving his usual smirk to his proxy.

For once, Neku was more than happy to see that look on the Composer's face. He grinned. "With pleasure," he replied.

Music of Shibuya roared in agreement, the melody of the world around him surging in his mind. Trails of graffiti-like flames lit the ground in spite of the water, lightning bolts hurled from the tip of his weapon, and bullets of light fled from the palm of his hand to slam into his enemy. The onslaught of psyches was more than enough to finish Naxeyv off, but Neku didn't stop until his rage was entirely released.

The Ruthless Emperor fell to one knee, his sneer not yet fading. "It would seem that I have underestimated the proxy's power…"

"Damn right you did," Neku growled.

Even as he faded, Naxeyv laughed. "Fascinating…how could you pull off such a feat…if you were only able to revive Axel?"

"Neku is capable of far more than just that," Joshua stated. "I get the feeling you left out several crucial details in your little plan."

Naxeyv grinned. "Of course…you would know such things, wouldn't you, Composer?"

Joshua said nothing. As they watched, Naxeyv gave one last bitter laugh before he faded away.

* * *

And so we mark the end of another Zoner's (non)existence.

At any rate...this chapter makes me feel iffy for some reason. Dunno why. Oh, well. Next installment coming soon!

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	30. Plans for Disabling

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Plans for Disabling  
**

* * *

"She's been doing better since Shantotto and Aerith swapped out," Shiki stated. "Not by much, but it's helping."

"What exactly went on here?" Leon demanded calmly. "…and why are there scorch marks on the walls?"

"We aren't sure," Shiki replied, shaking her head. "Rhyme said she felt like she was drowning or something. Freya told Aerith and the Ambassador to leave, and ever since then she's been calming down."

"And it looks like my suspicions were correct," Freya added, folding her arms and flicking her tail idly. "Leon, tell me our current status."

The swordsman counted on his fingers. "Let's see…on the front line we've got Aerith, Kairi and Shantotto…Cid's in the lab, Xenuk's helping him right now…and here at headquarters we've got me, Yuffie and all of you."

"Zidane left earlier," Yuffie added. "So he's not here. Merlin's probably at Disney Castle or somewhere else, and who knows what the gullwings are up to."

"Hang on a sec," Leon said. "I'm seeing a pattern in how we've been divided up…we've never had all our magic users on the front at once before. Normally we're more balanced out than that."

"I know," Freya said. "That's why I named specific people to replace."

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Wait a minute…what does the way we set up our position have to do with Rhyme?"

"It has _everything_ to do with Rhyme," Freya replied calmly. "Let me explain…"

* * *

"I never want to go there again," Axel whimpered as he secured himself in his seat. "I bet my Somebody knows how to swim and never told me…"

Sora laughed. "Not too fond of water, are you, Axel?"

The replica sighed. "Never was, never will be."

_**Axel always flat-out refused to go on any mission involving Atlantica mainly because he couldn't swim, but he couldn't stand Demyx either.**_

_Did you get along with Demyx?_

_**Yeah. He was okay. Obnoxious sometimes…but he was okay. Poor guy was really easily misled, though…**_

"Just one thing bothers me," Neku said quietly. "He and Joshua seemed to know each other."

Joshua shrugged. "I get around."

_He's not about to tell us anytime soon, is he?_

_**Nope.**_

A sharp beeping snapped Sora from his conversation with Roxas. Riku was already rapidly tapping at the keyboard. "We're getting a distress signal," he stated.

"You're awfully calm about it!" Neku cried as he buckled himself in.

"Bring up communications," Sora said, taking his own seat and starting up the engines.

Riku nodded. "On it. Looks like it's coming from Radiant Garden again. Labs, to be specific."

"We'll land there, then. Opening connection."

The communications screen flickered a few times before a familiar face appeared on it, the sound taking a few more moments to adjust. "You guys finally back?"

"Xenuk," Sora breathed in relief. "Everything okay over there?"

"Of course not," Xenuk replied. "There are Nobodies all over the place, and we can't even get through the Cavern of Remembrance unless we focus everything we've got. Cid thinks he's found a way to bypass the Cavern, but everyone's so busy keeping the nobodies away from town we can't make any use of it."

"We're on our way right now," Riku assured him. "We'll use the portal in the Lab, got it?"

"Yeah. Cid's making a few rounds in the other room right now. We'll be waiting for you." And with that, the connection closed.

_Why do I get the feeling I've been through this before?_

_**Because we have?**_

_We have?_

_**Does the phrase 'Hostile Program' ring a bell?**_

…_oh, no._ Sora wasted no time in diving for the warp drive button. "Hang on to your seats, everyone," he announced. "This is going to be a bumpy ride!"

* * *

_You're back! How'd it go?_

_I still owe Neku an explanation, but right now we've got bigger problems. How's Rhyme?_

_Freya knows what happened to her, and she's taken care of the situation. I'm doing what I can to help calm her further, but it's only a matter of time unless we get rid of those nobodies fast._

_Then we'd better get sta-_

_We can't, Ven. Remember?_

_Right…but the others are on their way right now._

_Good. Listen, Ven, I need you to do me a favor…_

_Sure, anything._

* * *

"Ah, Jaxuk. You have news?"

"Yes, sir. Naxeyv has fallen, and the Nethicite has been stolen by the boy."

"Stolen?" Meyxours echoed. "That's not very pleasant."

Jaxuk placed a hand in the air calmingly. "No need to worry, sir. It is still a perfect weapon if we set it off without them wanting it."

Meyxours quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Every actor will be in place soon," Jaxuk continued. "I assure you, I can perform this act without need of a rehearsal."

"Very well…but what of Zidane? He seems out for blood…yours, specifically."

Jaxuk grinned. "Oh, him. He won't be a problem. In fact, he's one of the more important actors in this performance…"

* * *

For a computer lab, the room was rather large. There had to be at least twenty screens to the thing, and the keyboard and disc slot were built on top of the CPU. In front was a window overlooking the manufactory near the bottom of the laboratory. Xenuk, hood partially up as it had been before, was overseeing the man typing away at the keyboard was a simply-dressed blonde-haired man.

Sora stepped forward. "Are we here in time, Cid?"

The man and Xenuk turned around. "About time you got here," Cid commented. "Everyone's off in the low ground fighting off the biggest hoard of nobodies I've seen since the gates broke and let in all the heartless. Luckily there's more of us to fight now…that Shantotto lady took out about a hundred of them with a single spell, but she needed a good bit of rest after that."

"I've been helping out wherever I can," Xenuk added. "Earlier I had to check in on Rhyme, but right now I'm helping Cid in here."

"How _is_ Rhyme?" Neku asked eagerly.

"Quiet for now," Cid answered gruffly. "They could hardly hold her down an hour ago."

"Hold her down?" Joshua echoed, placing a hand to his chin almost mockingly. "Last time I checked, Rhyme wasn't exactly the type to lash out."

Xenuk shrugged. "She didn't lash out. It was more like she was having a seizure or something."

Neku's jaw would have found a new home on the floor had it not been securely attached to his skull. "_Seizure?_"

"She's fine now," Xenuk assured them. "She was reacting to something. Aerith thought it had something to do with the resonance that sent her into that coma. Freya seems to know something more about it, but she isn't talking yet."

"I can see why," Joshua stated. "Learning something potentially shocking as that isn't a swell idea in the midst of chaos."

"Where've you been during all this? Cid asked. "Sleeping in castles again?"

"We were fighting Naxeyv in Port Royal," Neku explained, pulling the shimmering blue stone from his pocket. "And we managed to get _this_ away from him."

"Deifacted Nethicite," Xenuk breathed. "That stuff's more dangerous than the manufacted version."

"What's the difference?" Axel asked.

Xenuk breathed deeply. "Well, both forms of Nethicite serve the same purpose; they absorb magical energy and whatnot. There's one main distinction between the two, though. Manufacted Nethicite dissolves when it absorbs too much energy. Deifacted Nethicite, on the other hand, is not only harder to find, but it causes that enormous explosion that I told you about. Telling the difference by eye is really hard, but when I was still with the Zoners, Naxeyv taught me about it."

Neku eyed the stone in his hand like it was a bomb, which everyone now knew wasn't far from the truth. "Then we'd better keep this thing far out of reach," he said. "I don't want it blowing up in my face."

"Agreed," Axel added. "I may like explosions but there are some that I'm just not a fan of."

"Don't worry," Cid assured him. "You get a fair enough warning when it's 'bout had enough, though I still wouldn't try it if I were you."

Joshua seemed unimpressed, but plucked the stone from Neku anyway. "I'll hold onto this for now."

Cid crossed his arms. "Now that we have that out of the way…mind tellin' me who's who?"

Sora slapped himself mentally for forgetting. "Oh, right! Cid, this is Neku. He's the guy that helped me in Shibuya. And that's Joshua, he helped me out a bunch, too."

"So _yer_ that Neku kid," Cid man said slowly, rubbing his nose and holding a hand forward. "You've prolly herd of me by now. Name's Cid."

Neku nodded eagerly, shaking the man's hand. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Cid."

"Thanks for keeping in touch," Joshua added, smirking as usual. "It's been a big help."

"Not a problem Joshua," Cid said, staring at the platinum blonde. "Though, shouldn't you and that Hanekoma guy be taking care of Shibuya?"

"Shibuya is in good hands right now," the Composer replied vaguely. "We're here because we received a distress signal. Care to elaborate?"

Cid nodded. "Oh, right. Well, everyone's in town fighting at the moment. We switch our positions so we won't wear ourselves out, but we don't know if it'll ever end. We could use some backup, but Tron thinks that maybe that computer is the source of it all."

"Tron?" Neku echoed. "Who's he?"

"Security program," Cid replied. "Looks after the town. He and Sora teamed up a bunch of times to get us out of some tight spots."

Neku looked highly doubtful. "_Riiight_…"

Sora cleared his throat nervously. "Anyway…if this has something to do with the computer, Cid, why don't you let _me_ handle it?"

"You?" Axel echoed, a smile trying to appear on his face. "Sora, last time I checked, you were about as good with computers as a piece of _rock_."

The brunette crossed his arms. "Shut up, Axel. I don't do it like _that_, anyway."

"Then how _do_ you use a computer? Jump on top of it?"

"Donald tried that once…trust me, it didn't go well."

Cid shrugged. "Well, Sora, you know how to turn it on."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. The rest of you stand back. I'm going in solo. The rest of you go to town and help out; Cid's got things covered here."

Neku's expression was twisted between humor and humiliation. "Sora, we're talking about _computers _here. It's not exactly life-threatening."

"Just stand back," Riku instructed them. "Sora knows what he's doing. Although…" He paused. "You sure you don't need backup? There could still be heartless there."

Sora smirked. "No sweat! If there are any, I'll handle them."

_**To be honest, Sora, I think Riku has a point. You should at least bring one other person with you.**_

_Well…I guess it couldn't hurt. _"Okay, I take it back. Riku, wanna give me a hand in case anything comes up?"

Riku shrugged. "Good to see Roxas talked some sense into you. There's no way I was going to let you go alone, anyway."

Sora crossed his arms indignantly. "Quiet, you."

"What exactly are you doing?" Neku asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm going to see if I can disable the computer in the Cavern," Sora replied. "Don't worry about me. I've done this a million times."

"Three actually," Cid corrected. "And the first time was an accident."

"Hey, I still know my way around!" Sora protested. "Okay, opening internal access…and activating data transfer. You guys might want to back up unless you're coming, too."

Neku gave Sora a look that clearly described that he thought he was crazy. Joshua, however, just smirked. Axel only stared blankly. Cid and Xenuk obediently stepped backward.

A large, red portal stood behind them, surrounded by a strong metal frame. The grid on the object slowly began to fill with a white light as it powered on. Sora had to squint; it was very bright to look at.

_**I wasn't awake last time you went through. Does it hurt?**_

_Nah. It tingles and it really jumps out at you, but it's completely safe, honest._

"Sora, look out!"

The keybearer turned around just in time for Neku to shove him out of the way of the portal's beam. He had no time to regain his position and assure his friend that the portal was harmless when the light zeroed in on the ex-proxy and his astonished best friend, freezing them both in a wireframe.

Everyone stared and gawked silently as the beam gradually drained each and every polygon of Neku from in front of them, leaving only an empty, white net of lines. After the last bit of color was drained, the wireframe itself was dragged into the light, and the device flipped off.

As the very last trace of Neku and Riku vanished, Sora finally found his voice again.

"…uh-oh."

* * *

You saw that coming, didn't you? Admit it. XD

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	31. Disaster Strikes

HOLY WHAT CHAPTER 30! Man, this fic feels old.

I don't like this chapter very much for some reason. At least not the second half...

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty: Disaster Strikes**

* * *

Neku couldn't fathom why he was laying face-down on the ground. The familiar pins-and-needles sensation had swept through his body for a moment before he felt a strong wind pass by, but other than that and a bit of left over tingling he felt perfectly fine. Blindly, he pushed himself up off the ground and rubbed his eyes before glancing at his new surroundings.

It was dark and bright at the same time. The edges of whatever platform he was standing on were lit. _Looks like someone went blacklight happy on this place,_ Neku muttered.

It took him all of two seconds to look at himself and find that he now sported new attire. Neku gazed in amazement; his clothes were now entirely grey and routed with glowing blue circuits. A helmet covered most of his head – one suspiciously in the shape of headphones. "What the…what is this place?"

It quickly became clear that the time for questions was not then. Neku abandoned his previous shock and began searching. "Sora! Joshua! Axel! Is anyone here?"

Nothing.

"Riku? Shiki?"

Still nothing.

"…Ventus?"

Not a sound.

Neku continued calling until he reached a large enclosed hallway of sorts. Biting his lip, he cautiously peered around the corner. The room beyond was large and open, with a passageway within. Swallowing hard, Neku stepped forward, all senses alert. "Man…what kind of place is this, anyway?"

* * *

"I understand Neku's intent," Sora began, "But seriously…I told him to stand back."

"He thought you were going to get hurt," Joshua replied, shrugging. "He doesn't exactly have a good history with gigantic beams of light, you know."

"At least Riku's in there with him," Axel pointed out. "Although…Riku doesn't know his way around in there, does he?"

Sora shook his head. "Afraid not…Tron, you there?"

**Greetings, Sora. Can I help you?**

"Thank the Enix you're there," Sora breathed. "Look, two of my user friends just got sent in. I was going to go in with only one of them, but the other one ended up taking my place. Make sure they stay safe, alright? I'll be heading in there in just a second."

**Certainly. I'll run a scan and track them down.**

Nodding, Sora went at the keyboard again. "Internal access loading…" He turned to the others. "Joshua, Axel, can you head on down to headquarters and check on Rhyme?"

"Certainly," Joshua replied, "Although I'm sure Beat won't be happy to see me."

"Tell him I sent you personally. He should listen." Brushing the issue aside, Sora turned to the other two in the room. "Cid, I know you can keep this room under control. Xenuk, do whatever you need to do to keep things under control."

Xenuk nodded. "You can count on me."

Sora nodded grimly and turned back to the keyboard. "Internal access loaded…data transfer commencing in five seconds. Wish me luck, guys."

"Get back here in one piece, Roxas," Axel threatened, "Or I'll burn your hair off."

_**May I?**_

_Go right on ahead._

Sora felt his face smirk. "Don't worry. I will."

Light flooded his vision.

* * *

The new room was occupied by a column of light and a large screen with a small keypad, but otherwise the place was empty. Neku crossed his arms and groaned in annoyance. _Geez…this isn't getting me anywhere._ "Sora! Riku! Anyone!"

"You don't have to shout, I'm right here."

Neku spun on the spot and noticed another figure like him. His outfit was similar, although his helmet was slightly different in shape. The notable feature that Neku recognized him by was not only his long hair, but his voice. "…is that you, Riku?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "Duh. And nice going by the way, Neku. Now we're not only lost, but one wrong move could send this entire computer into a frenzy."

"_This_ computer?" Neku echoed. "I don't see any computers anywhere…'cept for that TV thing over there."

"That's not a computer," Riku groaned. "Sora might know what it is, but he's not here, thanks to you. Do you even know where we are?"

Neku rubbed his chin in thought. "We're in a room with a shiny pillar and-"

"Less specific."

"…no idea."

Riku shoved his face into his hand. "Look, Neku…just be careful around here, okay? Sora's the only one that knows his way around computers."

Neku blinked. "Riku, I thought Axel said that Sora was terrible with computers…and _you_ just said there weren't any computers in here."

"There aren't," Riku replied dryly.

"Then what are you talking about?!"

"Do I have to explain everything myself?" the silver-haired boy grumbled. "…Okay, listen. We're inside Ansem's computer right now, and right now we're nothing more than data."

"…_WHAT?!_"

"And when I said Sora knows his way around computers," Riku continued, "I meant he knows his way around… literally." He crossed his arms and glanced around. "If we can find Tron, then he can probably help us." And with that, he exited the room.

_How can be be so _calm_ about this?!_ Neku exclaimed before jogging up to Riku again. _We're inside a computer, as bits of data…what does that make me now? A virus? A program? A file? Can someone hit the delete key and kill me while I'm in here? Oh, geez, this is insane…_

* * *

"Nearly all the actors are in place, Meyxours," Jaxuk reported, bowing politely. "All we need now is to expose the proxy."

Meyxours nodded. "Excellent work," he said. "I would personally like to see the end to this."

Jaxuk tilted his head. "Closing the curtain on the opening act, sir? A premature ending would be rather dull…"

"Not quite," Meyxours replied. "I only mean to give our _heroes_ something to occupy their time."

"Ah, perfect. This should be quite entertaining…but I would so very much dislike the opportunity to watch their performance…"

"You will get your chance, Jaxuk. Don't you have an old friend pursuing you?"

"Ah, yes. Zidane…that fool doesn't know when to quit." Jaxuk crossed his arms. "Well, Meyxours, have your fun. I have to go make sure that the rest of our performers are ready."

Meyxours nodded. "Very well. I look forward to hearing your progress."

As he left, Jaxuk's lips curled upward into a bloodthirsty smirk.

* * *

"Sora kept talking about how the I/O tower was where he could communicate with the outside world, but that obviously isn't working for us. Granted, we don't even know how to use it. Our best bet is to find Tron."

"How do we find a _program_, Riku? Do you even know what he looks like?"

"Relax. Sora gave me a very good description of him. He'll probably find us before we find him."

_Gee, that's reassuring,_ Neku complained inwardly. This place was taking some serious getting used to; what with all the weird lights and the awkward clothing he had suddenly found himself in. The fact alone that he was now composed of data set him on edge. _Suddenly I feel really bad for all those files I deleted off of my laptop…_

Ten minutes later saw the two entering a large, _very_ bright room, with three large screens on the walls. The platform descended downward in a slope, ending at a keyboard where someone was currently typing frantically.

"Who's that?" Neku asked Riku quietly. "Did someone else get sucked in here?"

Riku shook his head. "No, I doubt it."

The stranger at the keyboard froze at their voices and turned around. "Oh…I didn't see you two walk in. Would you happen to be users?"

"Users?" Neku echoed. "Um…maybe?"

"We are," Riku stated. "Would you happen to be Tron, by any chance?"

"Yes."

Neku gawked. _Wha…this guy is Tron?! But I thought Tron was a program, not a person!_

Riku bowed politely. "I'm Riku. Sora told me about you."

"You are a friend of his?"

"Yeah. He was supposed to come with me, but we had a bit of a mix up and Neku here wound up coming in his place."

"I'm right here you know," Neku grumbled.

"Actually," Tron began, "I was just speaking to Sora. He asked me to run a scan on the system in order to find you, but I see that's no longer necessary. He's on his way in here now."

"Where can we find him?" Riku asked.

Tron crossed his arms. "Normally, he teleports into the Pit Cell, but I can run a scan for him and find him faster."

"Then do that," Neku said.

The screen in front of the keypad lit up as Tron typed on the keypad, each key blipping upon contact. Neku realized that his mouth was open and shut it promptly, watching various lines of data scroll by on the larger screen. After a few moments, it stopped scrolling and flashed red. Riku started. "You find him already?"

Tron didn't look too happy at the quick discovery. "I normally scan all of the dangerous zones first," he replied. "That way, if someone's in trouble, the scan will find them quicker than if they're simply lost and not in danger. It looks like Sora's on the Game Grid."

It was hard to tell in that light, but Neku was sure that Riku's face paled at Tron's words. "Oh, no…"

"Game Grid?" Neku echoed.

"It's a recently unused location," Tron explained. "Commander Sark used to use it to force other programs to play games and test their strength. He'd try to convince the stronger ones to join the MCP."

"MCP?"

"The Master Control Program. He wanted to get rid of the Users."

"Oh…"

"After the MCP came back a second time," Tron continued, "He would force programs to fight against heartless, or to run through a Light Cycle. Only Sora and I have ever managed to make it out with our data intact, but even then we had a hard time avoiding deresolution...especially when alone."

"Deresolution?" Neku echoed. "What's that mean?"

Riku's face stiffened. "Deresolution is technically the same thing as being deleted, which for us – and Sora now, too, since he just came in – is about as good as being killed."

* * *

I dun like how this chapter ended...but it seemed fitting.

The blacklight reference is homage to how _Tron_ was filmed.

Characters Met:

Tron (_Tron/Kingdom Hearts II_)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	32. Light Cycle

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Light Cycle**

* * *

Another explosion of flame, followed by a sudden wave of water and a tornado from the skies. Hundreds of Nobodies were sent flying, but thousands, maybe millions remained. Kairi bit her lip and readied one of her own spells; Shantotto was powerful indeed, but they could only go for so long. Earlier she had been fighting alongside Yuffie and Leon when Shantotto and Aerith had arrived from headquarters bearing news of an emergency swap-out. Kairi was meant to be sent back, but Yuffie was far more exhausted and Kairi allowed her to go back instead. Still, something seemed off. An emergency swap? What was going on?

A sorcerer struck from the left. Kairi raised her keyblade in time to block, but stumbled. Aerith sent a small healing spell her way and rushed to check on her. "Are you alright?"

"I'll make it," Kairi replied, standing. "What's with this whole swap thing?"

"Freya's the one that ordered it."

"Freya? But isn't she…?"

Aerith nodded. "I know, but she sounded urgent. She ordered the switch right when Rhyme started to act up again."

Kairi's eyes widened. "Wait…does that mean the switch-out might've had something to do with Rhyme?"

"I think so," Aerith said, "But I just don't know how, and I have a feeling that Freya isn't about to tell us."

Without another word, Kairi headed into battle again. She could worry about Rhyme later. If these nobodies weren't taken care of, there wouldn't be a Rhyme to be concerned over.

* * *

Neku cursed quietly. "He's not here."

"This is just the Pit Cell," Tron explained. "Normally the Game Grid will export to here." Then, without any preamble whatsoever, he knelt down and began typing at a giant television-esque object similar to what Neku had seen in the I/O tower.

"Can you pull up a visual at least?" Riku asked.

Tron nodded. "Certainly. I'm sure this terminal should have a function like that…"

"Can't we just go onto the game grid ourselves and get him out?" Neku asked, crossing his arms impatiently. "If it's as dangerous as you said it is, then Sora will need backup."

"Not necessarily," Tron replied. "If he's using a Light Cycle, he'll be fine."

_Light cycle?_

"Okay, I have a visual. Opening now."

Riku and Neku hovered behind Tron anxiously as a window appeared, at first riddled with static before showing a large, flat area patterned with grid-like linear marks. _That must be where it gets its name,_ Neku observed. In a maze of walls, he could make out one light blue shape zipping down the corridors, tailed by a few other small, darker objects. Tron typed at the keypad rapidly, and the visual zoomed in. The light blue object turned out to be some form of motor bike, and its rider was none other than Sora himself.

"So that's a Light Cycle," Riku muttered. "Sora told me about it, but he never went into it much…"

Tron opened another window. "Pit Cell to Blue One. Do you copy?"

Sora veered around a corner and charged his front wheel into one of his pursuers. _"Roger. This is Blue One speaking."_

Neku didn't waste the opportunity to speak. "Sora, what're you doing in there?!"

"_Long story short, I think I mistyped my entry point. Once I make it to the exit, I should be transferred back to the Pit Cell."_

"You're awfully calm about it," Riku commented dryly.

"_So? I've done this before. It's not hard."_

Riku groaned. "Then hurry up and get out of there. We've still got our problem on the outside, remember?"

"_I know, I know. I'm almost there; the exit's dead ahead."_

"Don't get cocky," Tron warned him. "You've got four devastators waiting for you at the end."

"_Piece of cake."_

As Neku watched, four large objects rose, standing on what were probably four legs, their bodies wired with violet circuitry. _Those must be the Devastators he mentioned,_ he reasoned.

Sora leaned forward, shooting through with an explosion of speed and evading a barrage of white, glowing projectiles. Any that got too close bounced off of a sudden burst of green hexagons that surrounded Sora, whom disappeared into a large crack in the wall – if that could count as a wall – less than a split second later.

"_This is Blue One! I'm out! Commencing transport to Pit Cell!"_

"Roger," Tron replied, turning to the two behind him. "Stand back a bit. He's coming through the terminal."

Neku hardly knew what Tron was talking about, but he stepped back anyway. Sure enough, a few moments later, a column of light appeared for a brief few seconds, quickly becoming replaced with a very tired Sora. "Geez…next time I need to pay more attention to what I type."

"You okay?" Neku asked.

Sora glanced up and nodded. "Yeah. Just gimme a few seconds and I'll-"

"We don't have a few seconds," Riku interjected. "We came in to disable the computer as fast as possible. Remember, we've still got Radiant Garden to worry about. Rounding you up took long enough, and we lost even more time dealing with Neku's recklessness."

Neku scowled, but said nothing. _As much as that sounds insulting, he has a point…_

Sora nodded and cracked his knuckles. "Okay then, here's the plan. We get into the other computer, disable it, and get out. There are still hoards of Nobodies outside in the user world that need to be taken care of, and as good as the others are, we're the best ones for the job."

"Sounds good to me," Neku replied making a fist with one hand. This thoughts, however, were elsewhere. _Gee, he sure makes decisions fast…_

"The I/O tower should have a way from transporting from one computer to the other," Tron suggested. "We should start there."

* * *

"Things calmed down when those two swapped out," Shiki explained, "But it's more like we picked the lesser of two evils. Rhyme still isn't feeling well."

Axel nodded. "Considering the number of Nobodies outside, I'm not surprised. At least now that we're back we should be able to get rid of them."

"I don't see all of you," Beat pointed out. "Where's Phones?"

"Neku, Riku and Sora are disabling the computer," Axel explained. "Me and Joshua were sent back here to check on you guys."

Shiki nearly dropped the book she was reading. "Joshua came?!"

The said silver-haired boy entered the headquarters, shoving aside a small clump of hair from his face. "You called?"

Beat immediately cast aside all previous thought and charged toward Joshua. It took both Leon and Axel's full strength to restrain him from beating the Composer to a pulp (or at least trying). "The hell you doin' here?!"

Rhyme bit her lip, still rubbing her head. "Beat, calm down. He's only here to help, aren't you Josh?"

Joshua nodded. "That's right. I can't stay away from Shibuya for long, though…"

"I don't care, yo! Pretty boy's the one that-"

"Beat, _Stop_!" Rhyme cried. "He _did_ help us when the heartless invaded the river, remember? If it weren't for that, Shibuya would be gone, and so would we!"

The skater hesitated at his sister's words and calmed. After being released by Axel and Leon, he rubbed his arm and glared at Joshua. "Fine. Prissy kid stays…for now."

"I wasn't planning on staying forever," Joshua replied. "I'm just here to help up the ante, if you know what I mean."

"Up the ante?" Yuffie echoed.

"With so many nobodies," Joshua continued, "Even our two groups combined can't afford to make any mistakes, and dead weight won't help us at all."

Shiki crossed her arms. "Dead weight?" She mumbled.

Joshua quirked an eyebrow. "Say, Beat…do you still have your skateboard?"

* * *

Had it not been for the monochrome tone of his skin, Neku would have had a tinge of green to his face. "Now I know how the copy and paste function feels," he moaned.

"At least it's not a solo match in the game grid," Sora pointed out. "I prefer dizzy over pain."

Riku rolled his eyes, somehow unaffected by their sudden trip through the I/O tower's depths. " Let's just find the database and shut it down. The sooner we're out of here, the better."

_This place looks a lot like the I/O tower we were in just earlier,_ Neku observed, swallowing. _The difference is more of something I _feel_, though. Are we really in the other computer?_

"Tron's staying behind to keep the terminal open," Riku began, "But he left me with some instructions."

"And what would those instructions be?" Sora asked.

Riku crossed his arms. "He said that if we want to stop the Zoners from using the computer, we don't have to turn it off or disable it. He said if we just disable the database instead of the entire computer, then we should be good to go."

Neku blinked. "Now that I think about it, that makes perfect sense. If they want the computer's data, we just keep them from getting it."

"So we just delete it all?" Sora suggested.

"No," Riku replied. "If we did, we'd be deleting Axel, too."

"Let's just get to the database first," Neku suggested. "_Then_ we can figure out how to handle this."

The agreement was made silently. Neku stayed as close as possible to Sora, still unsure of how to handle himself as data. Upon exiting the I/O tower, however, they found a several large masses of black in front of them, accompanied by yellow dots and various colors of circuitry. It took Neku a few moments to discern that it wasn't the ground that they were looking at.

Sora leapt back a few feet. "Geez! There're heartless everywhere in here!"

_You've gotta be kidding me. Heartless, in a computer?_

"Only figures," Riku groaned. "What's the plan?"

"We still need to get to the database," Neku pointed out. "Otherwise we can kiss Radiant Garden and everyone that's there good-bye."

Cursing quietly, Sora summoned Remembered Dream into his hand. "Then we cut through."

Neku blinked. _Even inside the computer, he can _still_ summon the keyblade? Wait, if that's true, then that means…_

There wasn't time to think when Sora charged forward. "Come on, you two! We gotta hurry!"

Riku's keyblade appeared in a flash and he charged forward, heartless flying like rag dolls. Neku followed suit. "Where're we headed?!" He called over the chaos.

"There are bound to be tons of heartless near the database," Sora reasoned. "So let's go where we find the most of them!"

"Are you insane?!"

Sora laughed as he sliced his way down the path, to which Riku chuckled. "He's Sora. What were you expecting?"

_Good point,_ Neku replied mentally as Music of Shibuya appeared in his hand. A burst of song accompanied its manifestation, and only moments later he was slicing a path through the masses of heartless.

* * *

_Geez, Radiant Garden is a mess._

_What'd you expect, Ven? We've got the keybearers in Ansem's computer trying to disable it, an empath on the rampage, two Zoners and their horde of nobodies causing mayhem…did I miss anything?_

_Other than the fact that there's a piece of deifacted Nethicite nearby and Shibuya is still in a frenzy? Not a thing._

_Whew…looks like we're going to be pretty busy._

_Yeah. You make sure Rhyme stays safe for now. Once this is over, she should be fine. I'm going to keep an eye on everything else._

_Ven, don't forget why we're doing this._

_I know, I know, but still… Neku isn't just a…well; to me he's a friend now._

_You know we can't get too attached._

_Don't remind me…but it's better than being selfish and just…_

_Yeah, I guess you're right. Be careful._

* * *

True to what Sora had predicted, the largest group of heartless had gathered near their destination. It was only a matter of smashing their way through and racing into the room beyond, slamming the doors shut. Of course, closing the doors wasn't quite as easy as they had hoped; not only was it a sliding door, but several heartless still tried to force their way through it.

"Push harder!" Riku shouted.

Neku winced and gave another burst of strength into the door. "I'm trying! I think one of them has an arm through!"

Sora aimed a small jolt of lightning at the offending heartless, causing it to shriek and retreat. The door closed with a loud bang, and several heartless behind it hissed in protest. Neku and Riku slid to the ground in exhaustion. "Well, we made it to the database at least," Riku said in between gasps for breath. "What now?"

"We have to block off access to it somehow," Sora replied. "Or just make it to where the Zoners can't use it. The question is…how?"

Neku crossed his arms. "If we delete the data, then Axel will be deleted too, so that's out of the question. Destroying the computer itself will do the same thing. We could delete only select data, but I doubt we'll know what's what. What we need to do is just cut them off from it."

Sora furrowed his eyebrows in thought. He had heard this somewhere before…when had it been? _Hmm…hey, Roxas, you got any ideas?_

_**How about we get out of here? I'm surprised I still have conscious thought in this place, but that doesn't mean I like it any better.**_

_We'll leave as soon as we're done. You're better at computers than I am…what do you have in mind?_

_**Didn't Tron have to go through something like this once?**_

_He did?_

_**From what I'm getting from your memory, yeah. He said something about his functions being taken away, so he needed to get to the dataspace to get them back…**_

_Of course! Roxas, you're a genius!_

_**Heh. I try.**_

"Sora, is there a particular reason why you're grinning like an idiot?"

The keybearer ignored Riku's comment. "Guys, we can put a password on the dataspace!"

Neku blinked. "That's…actually a good idea. We'll be locking away the data instead of deleting it, so no one gets hurt."

"Roxas come up with that?" Riku asked with a smirk.

Sora crossed his arms indignantly. "We _both_ did," he insisted.

"Having a password is all good and well," Riku pointed out, "But what're we going to set it to? We can't use anything easy or they'll break in and this'll all be a waste."

Neku cracked his knuckles. "Leave _that _to _me_."

Sora watched as Neku strode confidently up to the keypad and examined it briefly. "Huh…looks just like an ordinary keyboard. Saves me learning time..." He tentatively prodded at a few buttons until the main screen lit up with a password entry form. Neku grinned mischievously, typing in the fields and confirming.

"_Password set."_

Neku clapped his hands off. "Mission accomplished."

"If you're finished, then we'd better get going," Riku stated, stepping forward. "We might have blocked access to the database, but there are still Nobodies wreaking havoc outside that we need to take care of."

Sora nodded. "Right. Let's head for the I/O tower!"

_**Hey, Sora.**_

_Yeah, Roxas?_

_**What if the Zoners break into the computer? And what if they revive the Organization after all? What'll you do?**_

_I'll have to fight them all again, I guess._

_**But what if the fighting **_**never**_** stops, Sora? Don't you ever think about that?**_

_I used to, but not anymore. I know it sounds cheesy, but…I'd rather die fighting than live as a coward. If I'm fighting for what I think is right…or if I'm fighting to protect my friends and people I love, I'll go on for as long as I have to._

…_**yeah. You're right. Let's go.**_

* * *

…not liking this chapter either, but I think it's better than the last one. In compensation, I promise you all that the next chapter will kick some serious butt.

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	33. A Thousand To One

Whew…okay, guys, I'm exhausted. If the lower quality of my last few chapters is any indication of it… Anyway. Thanks all of you for sticking with this fic. It's nearing its end, although it won't end when you think it's ending…if you catch my drift. n.n

On to chapter thirty-two!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: A Thousand To One  
**

* * *

_Ven, look! The nobodies!_

…_yep. Looks like they're slowing down. We can't rest yet, though._

_Right. Everyone's exhausted; we're going to need some help._

_You keep an eye on Rhyme as usual. I've got an idea._

_Wait! Where are you going?_

_You'll see!_

* * *

Neku flexed his fingers numerous times and felt his face for solidity just to be certain. The moment he was certain he was flesh and blood again, he nearly sank to the ground in relief. "I never want to do that again."

"It's your fault you were even there in the first place," Riku pointed out.

"Hey, it's not my fault I didn't know!"

"Everything go okay in there?" Cid asked. "None of the nobodies came to the computer room, but we still had some trouble guarding the place."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We've password-protected the database so the Zoners can't access it." He turned to Neku. "By the way…what _did_ you set the password to?"

Neku grinned foolishly, remembering what he had set it as. "Not. Telling."

"Oh, come on!"

"No, seriously. I'm not telling."

Riku rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway. "Knock it off, you two."

It was then that Xenuk jogged in from outside. "The nobodies finally slowed down," he reported in between breaths. "There's still got to be at least a few thousand of them and everyone's about worn out, but at least there aren't any new ones appearing."

"Any sign of the Zoners?" Neku asked.

Xenuk nodded. "We saw one of them near the Dark Depths on the canyon wall. We're not sure which one it is."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Let's go., guys. Everyone needs our help."

"No argument there," Riku commented, already summoning Way to Dawn. "You ready, Neku?"

Neku shook his head. "Nope. Are you?"

Sora stared awkwardly at Neku for a moment before grinning back. "Nope, but I'm going anyway."

"Same here," Neku laughed as they headed for the door. He, Sora, Riku and Xenuk raced down the hallways, weapons brandished.

* * *

Shiki bit her lip. "Is this going to work?"

"It's better than doing nothing," Axel pointed out. "Besides, everyone here's just about worn out. They're going to need all the help they can get."

Bolt whimpered in agreement and curled up next to Rhyme, whom stroked his fur quietly. She had silently been hoping for the past few hours that the rest of the group would come back; the cycle of the warriors switching out to keep the nobodies occupied and away from the town had been constant for at least a day or two. The headaches hadn't helped either, although when she was about ready to curl up in the bed again she would feel a soft, warm presence near her, calming her enough to where she wouldn't feel so much pain or pressure.

"We'll have to get rid of them fast," Joshua pointed out, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "There are thousands out there, and if we don't finish them off quickly then we'll be worn out before it even ends."

"Can I help somehow?" Rhyme asked.

All heads turned to the girl. "You?" Yuffie echoed. "Can you fight?"

Rhyme bit her lip. "I can try. I just want to help somehow."

Though Freya's face was mostly hidden under her hat, it was clear that she was giving Rhyme a look of concern. The rat-woman walked calmly over to the girl, leaning her lance against the wall and kneeling down in front of her. "Rhyme, I understand that your intentions are pure, but you must understand why we haven't allowed you to leave. We aren't entirely sure what's wrong with you, but we _do_ know that it's dangerous."

Axel nodded. "She's right, Rhyme. In the state you're in, you're a loose cannon. We can't risk you hurting any of _us_."

Rhyme winced, and Beat shot Axel a glare.

"But if no one keeps an eye on her she may hurt _herself_," Joshua pointed out, "And she does have the potential to help us either way."

"Correct," Freya replied. "Besides, she has protection."

"She does?" Yuffie echoed. "How?"

"She's been kept in here the whole time," Leon stated. "What other shields does she have?"

Freya stood. "I've noticed how she has only been taken once by any nobody, and it was only a very powerful one: Zarxilt, the Fallen Prince. The lesser nobodies haven't even dared to come near this place in the time that Rhyme has been held here."

"That's right," Leon muttered. "But what's been holding them back?"

Freya turned to Shiki. "When Zarxilt kidnapped Rhyme, wasn't Beat injured or knocked unconscious?"

Shiki nodded. "Yeah, he was."

"I thought so," Freya replied. "And to add to that, Rhyme, haven't you mentioned a white place, and a girl within it speaking to you?"

Rhyme paused, and nodded. She _did_ remember that…but what did it have to do with all this?

The door burst open, and four familiar faces stepped in. "We late for the party?"

Shiki dove forward and pulled Neku into a tight hug. "You're okay!"

"And made of flesh and blood," Neku added. "It's good to be in the world of color again."

Riku shook his head. "That was partially _your_ fault, you know."

Ignoring his friends' playful bickering, Sora turned toward Rhyme and quickly made his way for her. "You feeling any better?"

Rhyme nodded. "A little."

"There's been trouble," Freya stated, "But we've been able to keep her calm. When I ordered all the casters to the front lines, she calmed considerably, so I think I may have an idea on what happened with her."

"We can worry about that later," Joshua interjected. "Once we clear out the nobodies, then we can give explanations."

Sora nodded, his expression changing from concern to determination. "Right. Let's go."

* * *

"The performance has nearly begun," Jaxuk observed as he stood on the wall of the canyon. "The lesser nobodies are falling, but I am still accomplishing my goal…"

"And what goal would that be?" Meyxours asked.

Jaxuk smiled maliciously. "By the time our troops are gone, our little heroes will be weakened, and much easier to eliminate."

"I thought you disliked watching them, Jaxuk. Why not join?"

"I have my reasons," Jaxuk replied, shoving a few strands of silver hair out of his face. "Besides…I'll join when it's my turn to walk on stage. I'm sure you had…_plans_ for this act?"

Meyxours laughed. "Of course. Jaxuk, I know you dislike missing out, but surely you would enjoy witnessing _this_…"

Jaxuk laughed. "But of course, Meyxours…a display of your power is a performance I wouldn't miss for the _world_…"

With a grin of contempt, Meyxours lifted one hand in the air and beckoned. Dark clouds began to gather in the sky…

* * *

"Rhyme!" Beat cried. "What's wrong?!"

Rhyme clutched her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "Something's wrong," she muttered as she struggled to regain composure. "Outside at the canyon. I can feel it all the way from here."

"This far?" Joshua questioned. "It must be powerful."

"What is?" Sora asked. Joshua didn't answer.

Riku ignored the question. "We're leaving," he stated. "Whatever's going on out there, it can't be good."

"I'm going with you."

All heads turned to Rhyme, whom was on her feet and standing taller than she ever had before. Beat was the first to protest. "Rhyme…you'll get hurt."

"I fought in the Reaper's game, didn't I?" Rhyme protested, her voice as soft and kind as it always was. "I can help. I promise."

Beat sighed. "Stay close to me, then."

Nodding triumphantly, Rhyme hurried to her brother's side. Everyone left the house, unsure if they would return alive.

* * *

Kairi sent the finishing blow to a dusk and stumbled backward, her only saving grace being the healing spell that Aerith sent her way moments later. Shantotto blew up another section of nobodies, but the fighting was beginning to take a toll on the ambassador. "We can't keep this up," Kairi muttered. "Where are they?!"

"Over there!" Aerith cried, pointing.

Elated, Kairi turned her gaze to the entrance of the canyons. Sure enough, there they all were: Leon, Yuffie, Freya, Sora, Riku, Neku, Xenuk, Shiki, Joshua, Axel, Bolt, Beat, and Rhyme, all with whatever they could fight with in their hands. Kairi did a double-take at the last arrival. "Rhyme? What's she doing here?"

Aerith hesitated. "Why is Rhyme here?"

They weren't about to receive their answer. Keyblades flew, spells shot around, and Yuffie's shuriken flew in loops, obliterating the opposition as they charged through. Beat and Shiki were near the back with Rhyme, and didn't have to do any fighting thus far.

But Kairi knew they would. After all, the largest mass of troops was in the gorge past the crystal cavern…

* * *

Neku grit his teeth, slashing a dragoon out of his way as they made their way toward the gorge. "This is nuts!"

"It was worse when the heartless were around," Sora replied, taking down three dusks in succession, "But don't let your guard down."

His words came too soon. The world all around them shook, knocking the warriors off their feet. While they were regaining their feet, a berserker took the opportunity and readied a strike with its hammer.

"Oh no you don't!" Freya shouted, leaping high into the air and impaling the nobody on her spear, obliterating it and a nearby dusk with a proceeding swipe. Yuffie hurled her shuriken on a group of dragoons and leapt up in time to catch it from its rounds. A few dusks came too close for comfort, but Leon made short work of them with a few slices from his gunblade and a fireball when they retreated out of reach. Bolt snapped at a creeper that wandered near, chewing on its leg (if that could count as a leg) and throwing it aside viciously.

Joshua sneered. "We don't have time for this…where are they all coming from?!"

Rhyme winced as she stood. "Up ahead…something's there!"

"We'd better go check that out first," Riku said. "Defeat the leader, and the others will follow."

"Freya and I will keep the ones here busy," Leon declared. "We can't let them reach the town or the castle."

"You go on ahead," Freya added. "We can take these."

The group raged forward. Joshua was able to summon forth a few beams of light to clear the way while Axel hurled his chakrams as he ran. As they made their way past a small crystalline crevice, they found themselves coming to a halt near an enormous gorge so full of nobodies that the opposition looked like more of a giant white mass than anything else.

"Kairi, Aerith and Shantotto should be somewhere around here," Axel said. "But there are so many nobodies I can barely make out where the ground is!"

"We could have passed them earlier," Joshua reasoned.

Neku gawked. _How many nobodies are there?_ he wondered. _We had to have passed plenty on the way here, but…how can there be _more_?!_

"It's close," Rhyme whimpered. "It's really close…"

"What is?" Beat asked.

Rhyme shook her head. "I don't know…but it's bad…"

Sora , whom had previously been paying close attention to Rhyme, jerked his gaze upward. Sapphire eyes widened in terror and he pointed forward. "Look! It's up ahead!"

Neku, along with everyone else, followed Sora's gaze. Sure enough, dark storm clouds had gathered around the dark depths beyond the canyon. Standing among them was an enormous creature, chains binding its arms in place. Two large petal-like structures stood on either side of it, enclosing its sides like a protective shell. Sharp fangs lined its jaws, and its head was bandaged heavily…except for its left eye, where there were numerous bloodstains. Though the creature was bound, somehow the chains made its teeth and claws even more menacing.

"What is that thing?!" Riku cried, terror on even his face. Bolt snarled at the beast, crouching downward.

"An Aeon," Xenuk replied, gritting his teeth. "They're extremely powerful summons…even more powerful than spirits, espers and eidolons. Meyxours told me about them."

"A summon…?" Sora echoed.

Xenuk nodded. "This one was his favorite…it's called Anima."

Neku grit his teeth. "This is nuts…we have to go through a horde of nobodies _and_ a demi-god?!"

"Better get to work, then," Axel reasoned, summoning his chakrams in a burst of flame and starting forward.

Yuffie spun on the spot and parried a blow from a Berserker. "Xenuk and I will handle the small fry! You guys go after Anima!"

"Sounds good to me," Riku noted.

Nodding in agreement, Xenuk cracked his knuckles. "Anything you guys need from me before you run over there?"

"Just get us a path to that Aeon!" Sora cried.

Xenuk quirked an eyebrow and calmed. "Alright, then, stand back."

They did. Once they had, Xenuk did the same, leaving Bolt to stand in front of them, facing the horde of nobodies between them and Anima. With a calm voice, Xenuk spoke. "Bolt…_speak_."

The canine's eyes narrowed, and he widened his stance. His tail straightened, and his ears laid flat against his skull. He didn't seem to react to the nobodies closing in as he growled and drew back his head. Then, in one swift motion, Bolt gave a loud bark.

Shockwaves tore through the canyon, kicking up stones and tearing down the nobodies in its way. Whatever wasn't demolished by the shockwave either slammed into a nobody, was pelted by the rocks and boulders, smashed into the wall, or was thrown into oblivion. Anima still stood, but there was no longer anything between the Aeon and the warriors.

Neku gawked at the destruction before him and turned his gaze quickly to Bolt, whom was glaring at the scene before them and panting for breath. _A single bark can do all that…?_

Xenuk was entirely unfazed. "Well, there you go. One path, just as ordered. I might've overdone it a bit, though."

"That's all we need," Riku replied, shocked by Bolt's performance.

Sora shook himself from his trance and turned to Xenuk. "If you find Kairi and the others, make sure they know I'm okay, got it?"

Xenuk nodded. "Will do. Be careful; Anima is really powerful." And with that, the Nobody and the dog raced toward the remaining nobodies behind them.

Neku tightened his grip on Music of Shibuya. "Come on, guys!" He shouted.

The group race forward, toward the Aeon awaiting them past the gorge. A shriek from Anima replied to their charge, the storm clouds growing darker as they approached.

* * *

So...was that better? n.n I wasn't planning on putting Anima in this fic...but it happened. And for a reason. What reason? You'll see.

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	34. Anima Strikes

I'm pretty sure most of you saw this coming...but here it is anyway. n.n

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Anima Strikes**

* * *

Jaxuk laughed. "Lord Meyxours…those fools intend to fight Anima."

"So it would seem," Meyxours replied. "Well…this should prove to be interesting."

"And what if they defeat Anima?" Jaxuk asked, his smile not fading. "What will you do then?"

Meyxours didn't seem concerned. "Anima's strength is in how she slings pain onto others. Even if they do survive, only a miracle could help them." He turned around. "I will be putting the final touches on our preparations. If they make it through this fight, eliminate them. Don't disappoint me, Jaxuk."

Jaxuk nodded. "You have my trust sir," he replied. Then, once Meyxours left, he turned back to watch the bloodshed. "This will _certainly_ be an entertaining performance…all we need is one more actor to complete the cast, and I believe I know just the one for the job…"

* * *

_This can't be happening!_

_Ven? What's wrong!?_

_It's Meyxours…his pact with Anima's still intact. Look!_

_No way…how is he able to summon?_

_Search me. Rhyme sensed Anima all the way from Merlin's._

_So she's finally…what do we do now?_

_Not much we can do. They're on their own this time._

_How can you say that?!_

_I'm not going to interfere this time. That's my decision._

_But that's so unlike you…_

_Neku will win._

_How can you be so sure…?_

_He'll win. I know he will._

_How?_

_Because he can hear it._

* * *

Something about the Aeon had Neku trembling fearfully. The air around it was heavy, and something seemed to stop him from thinking straight. Rhyme looked increasingly anxious as they neared the monster, and the dark clouds swirled menacingly.

"It's even freakier up close, yo," Beat commented.

Rhyme gave a quiet whimper and backed away a few steps. "Something's wrong with it…"

"You think?" Axel remarked. "It looks like a zombie made friends with it."

"No," Rhyme said, shaking her head. "It's…it doesn't…I can't really put words to it. I want to say it doesn't belong here, but…that's not the right way to put it."

"Damn right it doesn't belong here," Riku grumbled. "Come on, let's get rid of this thing!" With that, he ran forward and aimed a strike against one of the fins on the monster's side. With a metallic clang, Riku's weapon bounced off and he leapt backward. "Or not…"

Axel began his own attack, only to meet a similar resistance. "I might as well use a wooden sword on this thing," he grumbled.

Sora grit his teeth and shot a flurry of fireballs toward Anima, each of them slamming into the area between the fins. Anima jerked on each hit, and Sora cheered. "I think I got it, guys! Hit it here!"

"With pleasure," Joshua stated, aiming a blast.

"Wait!" Rhyme cried. "Something's wrong!"

"You said that earlier," Riku commented. "What now?"

Rhyme nodded. "I know, but this time it's something else. Don't you think something's out of place here?"

"She's right," Shiki interrupted. "It hasn't attacked us yet, and we're right here."

The seamstress spoke too soon. Anima bellowed in sadness, gathering immense power in the form of red light in its eye. The air grew significantly thin before its heaviness returned full force, the near-invisible energy rippling the air as it burst outward as a form of an assault.

It hit Shiki dead on.

Three screams at once: the first from Rhyme as the explosion of heaviness came, the second from Shiki as she fell to the ground, and the third from Anima as though it were mourning its deed, a tear of molasses-thick blood trickling slowly down its face.

Neku's eyes narrowed. "Shiki! You okay?!"

"It hurts!" The seamstress screamed, clutching a gash on her arm that seemingly came from nowhere. "I can't move!"

Scowling, the ex-proxy spared Anima only a brief glance before running to his friend's side. _Damn monster…just what is it, anyway?!_

"We can't even see its attacks!" Riku cried. "What're we going to do now?!"

"It's attacking by inflicting pain," Axel replied, holding his chakrams protectively in front of him even though it would probably not protect him in the least. "We barely even get a warning, and it mocks us afterward."

Riku swore. "Shiki's out of commission for now," he grumbled. "We need to return the favor quickly before the rest of us get hurt."

Beat, meanwhile, was having his own problems. "Rhyme! Rhyme, talk to me! What's wrong?!"

"It's so thick," Rhyme replied, kneeling on the ground. "It's so _thick_, Beat…"

"What is?"

Rhyme didn't reply. Instead, her eyes widened and she snapped her gaze up. "Beat! Watch out!"

Beat spun around and whipped his skateboard out in front of him just in time to block another strike, but it wasn't enough to block the entire burst. Another scream came from Rhyme and a short cry of pain escaped the boy, and a trickle of blood left his mouth. He gasped for breath. "Geez…feels like a bus hit me…"

Neku blinked. _Rhyme saw it coming…?_

"Looks like it's using its eye to attack us," Axel observed. "Aim for that!"

"I would," Beat complained, "If it weren't five stories high!"

Another burst shot outward, this one striking Sora. The key bearer screamed and staggered backward into a wall, clutching his side. "What the…"

Riku cried out, diving in front of his friend and holding Way to Dawn in a defensive posture. "You okay, Sora?"

"I think so," Sora replied. "Just gimme a minute…"

Joshua's face contorted into anger. "Fine. I'll finish this myself!" With that, he leapt into the air and hovered, raising a hand and gathering pure white energy…

Another hit. Joshua fell from his place high in the air and crashed to the ground. He managed to stand, but he still staggered. "No…how can…?!"

Axel was next. Another three screams. One of his chakrams fell out of his hand, and he reached to pick it up, only barely grabbing it and beginning to stand again.

Neku's gaze dragged itself toward Anima's eye. The red light began to gather again. He was paralyzed just looking at it; and for a brief moment the tune that had filled his mind completely blanked out, the only sound reaching him being the gathering of agony in what he saw alone. He knew he wouldn't be able to anticipate what came next.

The red light exploded, the air rippling as though a sonic wave had torn through it. Neku screamed as the attack struck him, sending him flying through the air, landing him near the cliff. He stopped inches away, and his keyblade struck itself upright in the ground. Coughing, Neku righted himself, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He grabbed the hilt of Music of Shibuya, pushing himself to his feet and dragging the keyblade out of its stone sheath in the ground. Anima roared in sorrow, but the ex-proxy ignored it. He stumbled forward, ready to strike again, even as weak as he was.

_**Iyeyui…**_

Neku paused, the chaos of the battle suddenly only a background sound to what he heard. _What…what is that?_

_**Nobomenu…**_

_Is someone singing?_ He wondered, turning to Anima. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The blood-red light began to gather at the monstrosity's eye again. Sora was staggering to his feet, and Riku dove in front of him just in time for the red to burst and send the silver-haired boy crumbling to the ground, crying out in pain.

_**Renmiri…**_

Rhyme was still unharmed, but Beat stood ever vigilant in front of his sister, holding his skateboard up as a shield. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, but it hardly fazed him. Rhyme herself was trembling, but whether it was in fear, from being overwhelmed from the aura of the Aeon, or both…it was hard to tell.

_**Yojuyogo…**_

Axel was slumped over, but still standing. His chakrams were held loosely in his hands as usual, but they were dangling dangerously at the ends of his fingers instead of being lightly twirled about. The air was going cold around him, and Neku could hear his breath become labored. It was clear that he wasn't going to last much longer.

_**Hasatekanae…**_

Joshua was managing to stay on his feet, guarding Shiki's motionless form. He had his arms spread wide, judging the best time to strike Anima again, but it wouldn't be easy. The Aeon might have been stationary, but it was powerful…he couldn't deny that. Behind him, Shiki's arm was still bleeding, although much slower now, and her eyes were closed. It couldn't be a good sign.

_**Kutamae…**_

Screaming in a rage, Neku brandished Music of Shibuya and leapt into the air. The weapon hummed with power, and his ascent brought him higher than Anima itself. As he began to descend again, Neku somehow threw himself forward and thrust his keyblade forward, driving it through Anima's eye.

There was no roar of pain, no bellow of agony. A flash of dark light enveloped the entire area, wrapping the warriors in its cold clutches. Neku felt himself shoved out of his temporary perch and onto the ground as the darkened void turned white, and Anima's body dissolved, reshaping itself into the form of a young woman in an elegant white dress, her stern yet soft gaze locked onto him. Everyone else involved in the battle – save for Shiki, whom was still unconscious – stood in wonder at the one that had replaced Anima.

Neku swallowed nervously, trying to back away but finding that his feet were rooted to the spot. _A human…? Then what happened to the Aeon?_

"Who're you?" Sora asked.

"I was once Seymour's mother," The woman replied. "I have been asleep for so long that I know not my name any longer."

"Seymour?" Riku questioned.

The woman bit her lip. "Ah, that's right…you may know him as Meyxours now."

Neku's eyes widened. "You're his mother?" He blurted. "But you look so-"

Axel jabbed Neku in the ribs. "Never ask a woman her age, Neku. Got it memorized?"

"I'm _not_ asking her age!"

But the woman was not offended. "His father, unlike me, was a Guado, not a human. We lived on a world called Spira, a place that has been destroyed by heartless. I am not sure if it returned when the keybearer sealed the door."

Sora looked away.

"When he was still young," the woman continued, "He was treated harshly by other children. I thought to become a Fayth and grant him the power he needed to go on, and sacrificed myself for his betterment, but instead I corrupted my son."

Rhyme stepped forward. "You became Anima, didn't you?" Hearing this, the woman nodded.

Beat's jaw dropped. "No way, yo!" He exclaimed. "We didn't just fight a lady! But hang on…that means you was beatin' us up, too! So we-"

"Calm down," Rhyme said, soothing her brother. "I'm sure she didn't mean to."

"You're right," The woman replied. "An Aeon is bound to its summoner's will, no matter if it is for good or for evil. After my son became a heartless, his nobody still somehow kept his pact with me. I managed to forge a pact with another summoner…a summoner that defeated my son's heartless, but…it wasn't enough to save Spira at the time."

"I'm sorry," Sora muttered. "I wish I could have done something…"

The woman shook her head. "There is no need to be so harsh on yourself, key bearer. Our world must still exist for me to be summoned, even by a nobody."

Sora nodded. "All the worlds were restored after me and Riku closed the door. That doesn't mean I feel any less bad about what I never managed to do, though…"

"It was my fault that my son came to be so twisted," the woman insisted. "And thus my fault that he plunged himself into darkness to slake his lust for power. When he became Maester of Yevon, he did everything in his power to manipulate others."

Joshua crossed his arms. "In the wrong hands, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Please," the woman begged, "You must stop my son…"

"We will," Sora said. "We promise."

The woman nodded. "Thank you, key bearer." She then turned to Rhyme. "Young one…please step closer."

Rhyme did, swallowing nervously. The woman looked her over closely, and reached out, lifting Rhyme's chin so that she could look at her eyes. Then, she smiled. "That innocence…you remind me so much of her."

Puzzled by the woman's words. Rhyme blinked. "Of who, ma'am?" She asked.

Rather than to answer, the woman handed Rhyme a bright red feather. "Take this," she said. "If you ever need help at all, it will aid you."

Rhyme tilted her head and looked at the feather. "What is it?"

"You will know when the time comes. Now, go, warriors of light. And thank you…because of your efforts, I can finally, truly rest in peace."

And with that, the woman vanished in a rainbow of light, the glowing orbs circling into the air before vanishing entirely. The white void left as well, leaving the warriors in the canyon where they had stood.

* * *

And with another Zoner's identity _fully _explained, we can add him to the list.

Anywho. Hope that was good enough for you people. Now, the end approaches...or does it?

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	35. Know More, Know Less

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Know More, Know Less**

* * *

Sora hardly believed what he had just seen. The Aeon that had been there moments before was, in truth, a woman that had been robbed of her free will, forced to strike down people on her son's command. She begged them to stop her son. She gave them a parting gift.

And she had called them Warriors of Light.

_**But not all of us are of light, so to speak. Axel's a Nobody, and Riku wields darkness.**_

_I don't get it either, Roxas…but I think maybe there's a meaning in there that we don't know about._

_**Good point.**_

_But still…I've been called several things. This one doesn't surprise me that much, since Xemnas used it once…well, something close to it…but really, it just feels…_

_**Different?**_

_Yeah._

Sora stared at the scene around him. Beat was holding his sister close. Axel was sitting nearby, gasping for breath but still alive. Riku was still next to him, breathing heavily but still standing. "You okay, Sora?" he asked.

"Yeah," the brunette replied. "I'm okay. Stings a little, but I'll be fine…"

Nearby, Sora noticed Joshua standing calmly while Neku hovered over the still-knocked-out Shiki, his eyes glazed over. "No…Shiki, you can't be…"

"She's fine," Joshua assured him. "Just unconscious."

"Are you blind?!" Neku bellowed angrily. "She's bleeding worse than-"

Joshua rolled his eyes and interrupted. "Your screaming isn't going to help."

Sora bit his lip and stood, making his way over. "I'm no medical expert," he muttered, "But I do know something that can help." He ignored Neku's questioning and held the keyblade tightly in one hand, placing his other hand over Shiki's wound. Muttering a few words under his breath, he felt the comforting, warm aura of curative magic in the back of his mind and gave it a sharp tug, watching a soft green light wrap around Shiki's arm, mending the gash that had torn it. It faded as quickly as it had come, and Shiki's eyes cracked open, her fingers tightening around Mr. Mew's arm.

Neku swallowed. "You awake, Shiki?"

Shiki winced, and opened her eyes a bit wider. "Ne…ku?"

The former proxy wasted no time in pulling the seamstress close to him in a tight embrace. "You're okay," he whimpered. "You're alive…"

"Of course," Shiki replied.

Sora's witnessing of the exchange was cut short when a blur of pink tackled him to the ground. "Sora! You're okay!"

"Apparently we _all_ are," the keybearer muttered back, finally identifying the blur as Kairi. _'You're okay' seems to be the phrase of the day today…_

_**The look on your face is perfect blackmail material right now, Sora.**_

_Shut up. How would you know?_

_**Aw, c'mon. You can't deny you like her.**_

_Knock it off!_

Kairi finally pulled back. "Having an argument with Roxas?" she scolded playfully.

"He's the one that started it," Sora grumbled, but Kairi giggled anyway.

A familiar figure in a black cloak entered the area, accompanied by Bolt. Both looked worn out. "You guys made it," Xenuk observed.

"Barely," Axel replied. "I was starting to think that not even Fail Safe was going to touch that thing."

_Fail Safe?_ Sora wondered. _What's that?_

No response came from Roxas, other than a seething anger. Sora began to ask him what was wrong, but the nobody mentally pushed him away.

"The others are still on cleanup duty," Xenuk explained. "There aren't many nobodies left, and it looks like the Zoners high-tailed it out when Anima went down." Bolt yipped in agreement.

"I doubt they high-tailed anywhere," Joshua replied, his voice without its usual sarcasm. "The Aeon was probably something to either weaken us or buy time. I'm sure they knew we'd survive."

"What I want to know," Axel began, "Is how Rhyme could sense all that stuff about Anima when _we_ could hardly even see an attack coming."

Joshua nodded. "Things are calm enough now. Once we're back at headquarters, I'll explain everything."

"You mean _you_ knew about this?" Beat exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"

"No one asked," Joshua replied calmly. "Besides, it wasn't exactly a good moment to tell. We didn't have the time before, what with the all the nobodies. Now let's go."

* * *

"So they released Anima," Meyxours echoed. "Impressive, but to be expected of the proxy."

"Yes, sir," Jaxuk replied. "I was unable to find them after the final explosion, however, but they will come after us without a doubt. It will be very simple for me to dispose of them this way."

Meyxours nodded. "Of course. Now, then…I must be off. Is everything prepared for our little escapade."

Jaxuk smirked. "Yes, of course. Every actor is in place. Now, it is only a matter of time…"

Approving of his follower's response, Meyxours grinned. "Good work. We begin immediately."

"With _pleasure_, sir," Jaxuk replied, his usual bloodthirsty grin on his face as he snapped his fingers and vanished into a dark portal.

* * *

"Rhyme is sensitive to mist?"

Joshua nodded. "Precisely. That's why she's been suffering this whole time."

Beat rubbed his head. "I don't get it, yo. She said she felt like she was drownin'."

"And how did that even start up?" Kairi asked. "People just don't suddenly become sensitive to mist…whatever that means.

"Of course not," Joshua stated. "Sora, do you remember when you allowed Rhyme to name the Remembered Dream?"

Sora summoned the said keyblade and nodded vaguely. "Yeah. She got spacey for a moment."

Rhyme nodded in agreement. "I kinda felt strange when I was holding it. Something just…felt different."

Joshua crossed his arms. "Coming in contact with Sora's keyblade served to bring Rhyme in contact with her lost entry fee from the reaper's game: her dreams. That, combined with coming into close contact with the keyblade's power, caused a powerful resonance, sending her into a deep shock and opening her senses widely. When the nobodies arrived in Shibuya, she caught a whiff of what had changed about her, and it overwhelmed her so much that she fell into a coma."

_So that's why she passed out on the way here,_ Neku thought.

"Didn't Freya say something about the mist getting to people?" Riku began. "Past the point of just nausea…"

Joshua nodded grimly. "Had Freya not sent the magicians to the front line when she had, Rhyme would have gone into a berserk frenzy."

The room was awkwardly silent, most of all Rhyme staring with wide eyes and a gawking mouth. Shiki coughed in attempt to break the ice. "I can't exactly see Rhyme doing that."

"None of us can," Sora agreed. Neku regarded the keyblade master with understanding; after all, Rhyme had been the one to kneel at his side and save his life – or afterlife, in the case of the Reaper's Game – after they had defeated Xsoh. The very thought of Rhyme going into a frenzy was akin to seeing Minamimoto give up his math gig: it simply didn't happen.

"I doubt that Rhyme would have gone to such actions," Joshua continued. "At least not as a _human_."

Beat looked away, and once again Neku knew what he was thinking about. Though as a squirrel noise Rhyme was small, she was certainly a force to be reckoned with. It was with her help that they had managed to defeat Konishi.

"So basically she can sense magic," Xenuk said. "Or at least it's essence, like with Anima's attack, and when Anima was summoned."

"That's right," Joshua replied. "Being sensitive to mist isn't unlike having one's senses and power opened in the UG, however. The main difference is that sensitivity is far more potent and, most of all, dangerous. Though resting has helped her, Rhyme needs to return to Shibuya and stay there if she is to recover at all."

"I can't."

All eyes turned to Rhyme, whom was sitting straight up, her eyes narrower than normal. Beat was, as predicted, the first to give a vocal response. "Sis…you gotta go home if you're going to feel better."

"I'm not sick, Beat," Rhyme insisted. "I want to help everyone."

"You need to go back," Sora added, agreeing with Beat.

"Not yet," Rhyme replied sternly. "I think maybe I can help. Meyxours…he's still out there, but we don't know exactly where. And if he's a summoner, then maybe I can use the mist to find him. And besides, I already told you I can fight. I might not be as good as any of you, but I can at least try."

Axel quirked an eyebrow. "You know…that's actually a good idea. We can only see and hear so much, but from what we know, Rhyme can _feel_ things that we can't."

Riku nodded. "Yeah. She could see Anima's attacks coming, but we couldn't see a thing."

"There's only one problem," Sora pointed out. "If that mist stuff gets to Rhyme really easy, won't it make it hard for her to…" He struggled to find the right word. "I dunno…function?"

Shiki nodded. "Sora has a good point. I don't think letting Rhyme walk around with a constant migraine is a good idea."

"Why not find a piece of Nethicite for Rhyme to carry around?" Xenuk suggested. "I think I might know how to get my hands on the manufacted version so she won't hurt herself."

"What good will _that_ do?" Neku asked.

"Nethicite absorbs magic energy, remember?" Joshua reminded them. "If Rhyme is sensitive to magic energy, then that stone will keep it on a level that she can tolerate."

"Thanks," Rhyme said, "But I won't need it. I'm starting to get used to this now."

Xenuk shrugged. "If you say so," he replied, striding over to the computer. "The Nobody signals are weaker. Looks like they're either dying out or they're all gathering somewhere."

Riku crossed his arms. "If we've learned anything from traveling the universe for two years, it's that the enemy doesn't die out on its own."

"But where would they be going?" Kairi asked. "Wouldn't they be after Neku?"

Neku shook his head. "They're probably trying to bait me again," he grumbled.

"They don't particularly care about capturing you anymore," Sora pointed out. "After you finished off Zarxilt, they had a major change of plans…" The keybearer's voice trailed off and his face became somber. Neku looked away; he had a good idea what was going on in the brunette's mind now.

"But since they're not after Neku," Shiki began, "What're they after? I doubt they'd just want to give up on their plans and focus on killing him."

_Way to be blunt, Shiki…but you've got a point._

"Easy," Axel replied. "They're looking for a new power source."

All heads turned to the replica, eyes wide. Sighing, Axel sat up. "It's just like what happened with Roxas. After the Organization couldn't get him back, they looked for a new way to get hearts, and for that they needed a keyblade, which Sora had. If the Zoners are anything like the Organization, they'll probably do the same thing."

"Meaning…?"

"Instead of using Neku as a power source, they'll use something else. Something similar."

"But since they couldn't get Neku," Sora reasoned, "Where else would they go?"

Joshua shrugged. "It's simple. There's only one place the Zoners would go to wrest control of power, especially if Neku had a very similar power. And with it in its chaotic state, they probably believe it to be ripe for the taking."

The answer was clear as day. "Shibuya," Neku breathed. "They're after _Shibuya_."

"They'd go after an entire _world_?" Shiki exclaimed. "Why? _How_?"

Axel crossed his arms. "Xemnas went after Kingdom Hearts before. To go after _one_ world instead of the heart of _all_ worlds might not be quite as severe, but still…that's insane."

"We'd better head over there," Sora suggested. "I've had it with all the trouble they've caused."

Xenuk turned to Joshua. "_You're_ the one in charge of that place. Why did you leave?"

"As Shibuya's Composer," Joshua stated, eyeing Neku strangely, "I _should_ be the one in charge of its safety, yes, but right now I'm not. However, it's in capable hands at the moment. I doubt they'll do much to it before we make it there."

"Capable hands?" Neku echoed, shifting awkwardly under Joshua's stare. "What're you talking about?"

"Wait a minute," Riku began. "Joshua's the composer of Shibuya…but didn't Sora say that the composer was the one that…"

"Yeah," Sora replied, staring at the ground. "Joshua's…the one that shot me."

Riku bellowed in rage and threw himself at Joshua. "Murderer!"

Axel grabbed onto one of Riku's arms while Neku seized the other. "Down, boy," Axel cried. "Try _thinking_ before you attack!"

"Let go of me! This guy's a killer!"

"Death is treated far differently in Shibuya," Joshua said sternly, completely unfazed by Riku's actions. "What you may consider true death is erasure in Shibuya's UG. I had not planned to kill Sora in the first place, but Minamimoto's heartless left me no choice. I planned to bring him back all along."

"Still doesn't change the fact," Riku scowled.

Joshua smirked. "It really depends on what you consider murder, Riku. Besides, shouldn't I remind you who it was that saved all of you aboard the Black Pearl, and who was responsible for Sora's resurrection?"

Though the reasoning calmed him, Riku still gave Joshua a scathing glare. "I still don't trust you," he mumbled, "But I'll believe you for now."

"Then let's get moving," Neku said, clenching his fists and standing up. "We're going to Shibuya. Now."

* * *

_You're going after him?_

_He's my friend. I'm not going to sit back and watch him get hurt._

_Ven, you know why we're doing this…_

_But it's selfish of us! Even if we _are_ helping the universe or whatever, we're still being selfish…just like Ansem the Wise was._

_I know. We may be helping for a greater good, but in the end, we're only…_

_Yeah. That's why I'm going to tell him everything._

_You're going to tell Neku about…?_

_Of course. I owe him. And you're coming with me, aren't you?_

…_I guess I am._

* * *

It didn't take long at all to reach Shibuya. Sora's driving was as reckless as ever in their haste, but Riku and Kairi did a decent job blasting the asteroids and various enemy Nobody ships out of their way. The moment their destination was in sight, Sora only increased their speed, only halting when they were close enough to orbit. "Guys…look."

Neku peered out one of the windows and immediately saw what Sora was referring to. The entire world was covered in a darkened cloud not unlike the one that had appeared when Anima had shown in Radiant Garden. The air pulsed, and he nearly jerked in pain. "Something's…" he began.

"We'd better get down there," Xenuk said, standing. "We're not accomplishing anything by just staying up here in the ship."

They stood, exiting through the portal in the back of the _Excalibur_ the moment Sora opened it. Neku was the first to step through, and he was greeted by the stench of smoke and the sound of people screaming. Without waiting for the others, Neku raced out of the alleyway and identified his location. _Dogenzaka. Didn't know we had a portal near here._ He continued on, racing in front of the 104 tower and staring in shock at the scene in the scramble.

Fires everywhere. People screaming and running. Cars and other vehicles had stopped in their tracks. Windows were shattered. Chunks of the street were either missing or nearby in a window or smashed on top of something. Various familiar forms of nobody scurried about the streets. The music that greeted his ears when he summoned the keyblade expressed only panic and despair. The air was heavy with terror.

In short, Shibuya was in absolute chaos.

* * *

So. The end draws nearer...what awaits the crew in Shibuya? What has happened to Shibuya? And what's Ven up to, anyway? This and more, next chapter! (Hopefully)

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/???_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	36. Chaos in Shibuya

For some reason…this chapter was quite difficult to write…and is thus somewhat iffy.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Chaos in Shibuya**

* * *

With citizens running around in panic, buildings aflame and the general area slowly being destroyed, it was almost impossible for Neku to recognize Shibuya. He could see the 104 tower still standing strong, although he wasn't sure how long even that would last. The nobodies either chased around the nearest bystander or were helping to destroy vehicles, buildings, the street, or anything else they got close to. It was almost sickening, and Neku felt helpless.

The most surprising thing, however, was Xenuk's reaction. He had gone pale and stared at his surroundings as though they would leap out and attack him. He seemed even more shocked than Neku himself "This can't be Shibuya…it _can't_ be…"

"I'm afraid it is," Joshua replied.

Neku shot the Composer a furious glare. "You call _this _handling it?" He demanded. "I thought you said Shibuya was in capable hands!"

Joshua nodded, expression unchanging. "And I did. I wasn't lying."

"But this place is falling apart!" Riku protested. "How is this 'handling it'?!"

"This isn't my doing," Joshua replied calmly, folding his arms. "One of the Zoners must have had a hand in this."

Axel sighed. "As usual…why am I not surprised?"

"Who exactly _did_ you leave in charge?" Shiki asked.

Joshua ignored them thoroughly. "I'm going to head for the UG and gather the Reapers. It might not be much, but I'm going to do what I can to stop or at least slow the decay. In the meantime, you all need to find the one responsible for this and take him down. The moment you do that, the small fry should be easier to handle."

"What makes you think we'll listen to a murderer?" Riku growled, summoning Way to Dawn. "I should really just-"

"We can trust him," Neku interrupted, earning a strange look from Riku but ignoring it. "I don't like it either, but we've got no choice!"

Axel summoned his chakrams in a burst of flame. "I'm with Neku on this one," he said. "We're fighting the Zoners, not each other."

Xenuk nodded. "Right. Anyone have any idea where he might be?"

"Udagawa," Rhyme said. "I think I feel something in that direction…"

"Then let's go."

Weapons were either summoned or drawn. As some of the nearby Nobodies redirected their attention, the group charged forward, slicing through any enemies in their way.

* * *

_Where are they?_

_In Shibuya. I saw them leave just minutes ago._

_Are they still alive?_

_They're handling themselves so far, but I wouldn't count on them to make it out alive if they find Jaxuk. You know what he's like…_

_Jaxuk…but isn't he_…_?_

_Yes, he is._

_In that case, we don't have _time_ for this! Hurry!_

* * *

Rhyme's suspicions as to there being something in Udagawa were spot-on, although it wasn't a Zoner: it was a fairly large crowd of Dragoon nobodies. Nonetheless, Neku wasted no time in summoning Music of Shibuya. He almost instantly regretted it: the music in his ears was in a panicked disarray, screeching and without any order whatsoever. Rhyme must've been in a similar state; she was clutching her head with one hand.

Fortunately, the dizzy spell was over quite fast, leaving Neku with enough composure to aid his comrades in the vanquishing of the pale white intruders. Music of Shibuya bellowed in rage, the tune in Neku's mind raging louder with each strike, and with each strike the chaos seemed to mend…if only a little.

Neku let loose a battle cry as he sliced through another dragoon, clearing the vicinity of Udagawa. He then promptly gasped for breath. "Is that the last of them?"

"For now," Riku replied. "I wouldn't count on this place staying safe for long."

"I _really_ liked these guys better when they were on my side," Axel lamented casually.

Sora eyed the replica with suspicion. "Don't do anything reckless."

Shiki kept a steady hand on Mr. Mew, ready to lash out at a moment's notice. Beat, on the other hand, kept one foot on his skateboard and held Rhyme close to him protectively. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Neku held their keyblades at ready, Axel spun his chakrams, and Xenuk simply stood warily. Three more dragoon nobodies appeared in response to their preparation to defend.

"Where are they all coming from?" Neku grumbled, readying a strike.

He didn't have to. A flash of tan and blue intercepted what would have been an impaling attack from the dragoons. A double-blade spun in the air, slicing through all three in one swift movement and disposing of them. The attacker stood with his feet spread wide, the swallow blade in one hand while the other hand remained out for balance, and his tail…_wait a minute, that's…!_

Sora's eyes widened. "Zidane?"

"Nice to see you too," Zidane replied blandly. "This place is such a mess I'm not even getting any stares. Mind telling me what happened?"

"Is that really necessary?" Riku said. "The Zoners are making a mess of things. As usual."

Zidane's gaze narrowed. "Then I'm in the right place at the right time for once. You haven't seen any of the Zoners, have you?"

"Not yet," Kairi replied, shaking her head. "Rhyme pointed us in this direction, though, so something must be here."

The tailed man only nodded. Xenuk crossed his arms. "Not every day an off-worlder goes hopping around from place to place without reason. Care to tell us why you've decided to visit Shibuya at the precise moment it's practically falling apart?"

Zidane glanced away. "I'm looking for Kuja."

"Kuja…?" Shiki echoed.

"An old enemy of mine," Zidane explained. "He's…well, a long time ago I thought he had been killed in an explosion that he himself caused. When I saw the Zoners running around, I recognized him, so apparently he hadn't been _killed_."

"He became a nobody?"

Zidane nodded. "Yeah…I managed to get rid of his heartless, but it was too late when our own world was destroyed by his nobody. That seems to be something the Zoners all have in common…all of them, except for Xsoh of course, have destroyed their own home worlds."

Sora swallowed nervously. "Destroyed them…recently?"

"Yeah."

Neku felt the bout of rage within Sora rise rapidly thanks to the changing tone in the music around him. The brunette's hands trembled. "Why? _How_? I thought that I put a stop to that…"

"If there's a way to restore them," Zidane replied quietly, "I'm sure you'll know once we find it. For now, you should probably focus on what's going on right now."

"But Kuja isn't one of the Zoners," Shiki stated. "There's no one in the group named Kuja."

"You've got a lot to learn," Xenuk muttered.

The seamstress blinked. "Wha…?"

"Every nobody's name," Axel explained, "Is an anagram of their _original_ name…with an 'X' added. Got it memorized?"

"With the only exception being Naminé," Sora added.

Zidane nodded. "Axel's right. Kuja's known as Jaxuk right now."

Neku's hands tightened against the grip of his keyblade. Jaxuk was the one that had challenged him in Monstro…the one he had barely defended himself from. _So, Zidane's after him…but why?_

"How do you know Kuj…Jaxuk?" Rhyme asked.

"He comes from the world I used to live on," Zidane explained. "I was supposed to…well, take his job so to speak, but he felt threatened by me and dumped me somewhere else. At some point he went into what we call trance…it's a state of immense power that someone experiences when their emotions reach their limit. He used that to destroy one world, and when I went back to my home world I faced off against his heartless…but his Nobody was still around, and I didn't know about it. That nobody finished what the heartless started, and I wound up in Radiant Garden with Freya. Since then, I've searched all over the place for Jaxuk and I haven't found him yet, so he must be here."

"So you're going after him to stop him from doing anything else?" Axel asked.

Zidane shook his head. "Not just that. I've got a score to settle with him, big time."

Kairi bit her lip. "You're only out for revenge?"

The area went silent as Zidane looked away, his face still stern. After a few moments, he finally nodded. "…yeah. He manipulated a queen to get what he wanted, destroyed an entire kingdom, manipulated said queen again to destroy _another_ kingdom and force another to surrender after being almost entirely destroyed, killed his so-called father and the queen he manipulated, destroyed his home world as well as my own, and tried to kill me I don't know how many times."

"Geez," Riku gawked. "He did all that?"

"I probably missed a few things," Zidane grumbled, "But yeah. After all that, who _wouldn't_ want revenge?"

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," Rhyme said, almost too quietly to hear.

Zidane, however, heard her. He blinked. "What?"

Rhyme looked up. "It means that revenge won't solve anything. I can understand why you don't like him, but is the reason you're doing what you're doing really right?"

The thief hesitated, staring at the ground. "…I guess not," He replied, "But whether I want revenge or not, I still have to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else."

"Join the club," Neku muttered.

"Joshua said he'd be helping everyone to safety," Shiki stated. "So far, I don't see anything happening."

As though her words had cued it, Joshua appeared in a flash of white. "The reapers are taking care of the city's safety," he announced. "I promised Uzuki a promotion if she made sure it was successful, so we shouldn't have to worry about failure."

Neku almost laughed. _Yeah, that'd about do it._

"You sure you can trust Pinky with that?" Beat questioned.

"Of course," Joshua replied, shoving away a stray strand of silver hair. "I can't guarantee everyone will make it unless we find Jaxuk quickly, however."

"Ah, so you _have_ been looking for me…had I a heart, I would feel touched."

Everyone spun on the spot to see a cloaked figure standing behind them, his hood pulled back to reveal a familiar face, lips curled in a smirk. Zidane's eyes narrowed, and his grip on his swallow blade tightened. "Kuja…"

Jaxuk chuckled. "Ah, Zidane…there you are. I was beginning to think you had stage fright."

"Game's up, Jaxuk," Joshua said, his gaze narrow. "Leave Shibuya immediately."

"And if I don't?"

"I am Shibuya's Composer, Jaxuk. You won't like what I have in mind."

Jaxuk sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. However, I'm not through here. This is the most exciting part of my performance." He snapped his fingers.

Neku screamed and fell to his knees, clutching his head and nearly dropping his keyblade to the ground as the music screeched in protest to whatever Jaxuk had done. A cry for help mixed with a scream of anguish and a bellow of fury. The negativity threatened to crush him and he grit his teeth. Rhyme must've felt it too, because she also vocalized her stress.

Beat comforted his sister immediately, and Sora was next to Neku in an instant, steadying him and glaring at Jaxuk. "What did you do to him?!"

"I did _nothing_ to Neku," Jaxuk explained. "I only prodded at Shibuya's music a bit. Heh…and in doing so, it would seem I have confirmed my suspicions about him."

"You catch on quickly for a creature with no heart," Joshua commented, "But in case you haven't noticed, _I_ control Shibuya. You are at a severe disadvantage."

Jaxuk laughed. "That's partially why I came here. After all…" He lifted his hands upward, summoning a dark, thunderous cloud over the city. "What's more exciting than having the home field advantage and still losing?"

* * *

Mega fight scene, anyone? I get the feeling that this one will end with a _bang_...if you get my drift. n.n Next chapter soon!

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy IX_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	37. The Elegant Reaper

We…we…we're fighting Jaxuk already?! IS THE END TRULY THIS CLOSE!? …or is it?

This chapter is kinda...shorter than I hoped it would be. Just like the last one. But oh well...I'll be making up for that anyway. (mischievous grin)

Kuja fans, don't worry…and I won't tell you why not to worry. You'll see in a few chapters.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: The Elegant Reaper**

* * *

The music in his mind cried out in pain. Neku had to mentally chain his arm down and away from his head, strongly resisting the urge to clutch his skull in pain. Something was terribly wrong here; how could this man be tampering with Shibuya's music? What's more, how could he hear it when he wasn't even in the UG?

He had no time to contemplate the matter when a sudden strike to his side sent him skidding to the pavement. Jaxuk readied another attack but Beat intercepted, his trusty skateboard at the ready. Flaming chakrams missed Jaxuk by inches, but Kairi quickly amended the miss by slashing toward the nobody in a dance-like step.

He couldn't keep dodging forever, so Jaxuk took an offensive shortly after the first strike had been made. He leapt into the air, sending a swift kick toward Zidane. The tailed man began to dodge, but the hit still connected partially, sending him flying backward at an odd angle. Sora fired off a healing spell, only for it to fizzle out. "What the…"

Riku, meanwhile, had attempted to fire off several dark fireballs, only to have them fade as well. "What's going on?"

"Your magic won't work against me," Jaxuk explained calmly. "In fact, _none_ of your magic will work?"

"Why not?" Neku grumbled, not expecting an answer but asking anyway.

Joshua, however, was not crippled. Three tones later, Jaxuk was dodging a falling bicycle by inches. It cost him when a chakram struck him from behind, embedding itself in his leg. Axel grinned, calling his weapon back to him. "Feel like giving in, now that you can't walk properly?"

Jaxuk sneered, picking up the fallen bicycle and hurled it through the air. Its target was unclear until the victim yelped in surprise, having been pinned to the ground.

Beat's eyes widened. "Rhyme! Yo sis, you okay?"

Rhyme winced, sitting up and removing the bike from its place on top of her. "I'm fine," she insisted, although it was clear that she would be feeling that hit for at least a few days.

Zidane spun on Jaxuk. "Some things never change, do they?" He snarled.

"Of course," Jaxuk replied, smirking as usual. "Defenseless targets are the most fun to pick on, don't you agree?"

Neku froze as the music around him shifted, abandoning its dischord and entering a state of angered frenzy. Zidane began to glow with an ethereal energy, his eyes blazing with fury. "You will _pay_!"

As they watched, Zidane snapped his swallow blade into two shortswords, his body flashing with a bright red light. His movements became so fast that he was nothing more than a blur. Though Jaxuk was able to keep up with his movements, he was still having a hard time. Only when Zidane paused did Neku catch sight of him did he notice that his appearance had changed as well: his entire body was tinted a light shade of red, his eyes flashing an even deeper blue than before. The way he looked now, it was almost as though he were a different person altogether. _What happened to him?_

"He entered trance," Xenuk explained, as though he had heard Neku's thoughts. "It's a state of immense power that someone enters when they experience extreme levels of emotion. I've seen Freya do it, too. I'm not surprised that Zidane can use it…"

"How do you know about it?" Neku asked.

Xenuk shook his head. "Learned about it from Jaxuk when I was still with the Zoners. He was pretty bitter about it."

"He can't take Jaxuk on his own!" Shiki cried. "We've got to help!"

"No," Xenuk replied.

"Why not?"

"It's too dangerous. You don't want to be caught in the crossfire."

"He's got a point," Riku admitted. "The last thing we want to do is get hit by our own teammates."

Zidane didn't seem to notice that his friends had stepped back in either shock or concern for their own safety, and it certainly didn't slow him down. He clasped his daggers into their double-bladed form again and threw them like a boomerang toward Jaxuk. For a split second, Neku could see the wind around the blade twisting into a tornado. There was no avoiding the strike; Jaxuk was hurled backward into the Udagawa mural, a sickening crack accompanying his impact. Several chunks of concrete spat out of place in protest, and Jaxuk slowly slid back onto his two feet, clutching a gash on his arm.

_Geez!_ Neku observed. _One guy can do all that?_

Jaxuk sneered in anger. "That power…Trance…it should belong to _me_!"

"You gave that up when you became a Nobody," Zidane said, his voice unnaturally calm for his enraged state. "Besides, a power that destructive doesn't belong to someone as twisted as you, whole or not."

Hearing this, Jaxuk's angry expression became almost feral, exposing what appeared to be fangs. "I've toyed with you _children_ for long enough!" He bellowed, summoning an enormous wave of heat and sending it toward them. The air itself ignited on fire, ripping through the air toward them…

…where they promptly vanished into thin air.

Sora stared, wide-eyed, as the deadly flames failed to strike them. "What…?"

_That's weird,_ Neku thought. _His magic isn't working, either?_

Jaxuk didn't seem fazed by his own attack fading, and began charging another spell. Ignoring this, Neku ran in for another attack, but Sora beat him to it. The brunette keybearer was a blur as he zoomed by, interrupting Jaxuk's focus. Mr. Mew flew in from the left, knocking the nobody back and directly into a line of flames courtesy of Axel. Rhyme remained behind Beat, whom was once again wielding his skateboard as a shield against any and all attacks. Kairi was waiting for her chance, keyblade at ready, and Joshua had his phone flipped open.

Another spell fired off, and once again fizzled away. Sora laughed. "Looks like your tricks aren't working, Jaxuk!" he taunted.

"But neither are ours," Riku pointed out, leaping back. "Watch your back!"

Jaxuk smirked. "Foolish boy…did you think I had gone into this battle recklessly like those before me? Unlike Zarxilt and Naxeyv, I have a script for my performance; namely that stone that your dear Composer is carrying with him as we speak…"

Neku's eyes widened. Of course! Joshua still had the Nethicite! On top of that Jaxuk _knew_ that Joshua still had it, but he was firing off spells anyway. That could only mean… "Joshua! Get rid of the Nethicite!"

Joshua responded without a word, plucking the stone from his pocket and hurling it in Jaxuk's direction. Unfortunately, the nobody anticipated the Composer's movement and caught the stone. Rhyme began to scream as the Nethicite began to glow brighter and brighter.

"It's gonna blow!" Axel cried. "Everyone duck and cover!"

Shiki turned back momentarily. "Neku! Run!"

But Neku was paralyzed. His feet were stuck to the ground, his limbs failed to respond to his desperate plea to get away from the dangerous explosion. He could only watch as the Nethicite gave a sickening, high-pitched whine and turned white with heat. Somewhere behind him, Rhyme let out a blood-curdling scream.

What happened next took only a fraction of a second but felt like an eternity. A dark, familiar shape ran in front of Neku, reminding him strongly of the time that Joshua defended him from Minamimoto's Level _i_ Flare. The explosion sounded with a loud _bang_, engulfing nearly everything in scorching hot mist, the flame-like apparitions hanging in midair as they flung themselves outward. The heated wind that blew past Neku knocked him off of his feet.

And then it was over.

Neku pushed himself to his feet to see Jaxuk lying on the ground, his breath shallow. He gave a chuckle. "Pity…I was hoping to take you with me, proxy…"

"Too bad," Riku replied, teeth clenched. "Looks like your plan failed."

To their slight surprise, however, Jaxuk only laughed. "No…this is perfect…the scene…has been set…and all of the actors are in place…" There was a slow swirl of black, and Jaxuk vanished.

"Mind games to the very end," Axel commented. "He gets points for that, at least."

Shiki stepped forward hesitantly. "Neku…? Are you okay?"

Neku nodded. "I…I think so…but I'm not sure how."

From nearby, Kairi gasped. "Guys, look!"

Everyone's eyes turned in the direction of where Neku had been standing when the Nethicite went off. Lying there on the ground, slowly fading, was none other than Xenuk, looking peacefully at the sky, his arms wide at his sides. Neku's eyes widened considerably and he raced to the nobody's side. "Xenuk! What happened to you?"

"Did what I could," the nobody replied. "I don't have anything else left to lose, so…I thought maybe…"

Neku felt a chill go up his spine. "What are you talking about? What's happening to you?"

"Jaxuk planned it all from the beginning," Xenuk explained. "He knew that Joshua still had the Nethicite, so he intentionally got us worked up and then set it off himself in hopes of catching us all off guard and destroying you, even if it meant…well, you should know. I absorbed as much of the hit as I could, but I was worried that it would still kill you… I'm glad to see you're still in one piece."

The realization dawned on Neku, and he suddenly found speech to be a difficult task. "Xenuk…you took the Nethicite's hit for me?"

"Most of it, yeah. You might've gotten knocked back a bit, but you look okay."

"Why?" Neku asked. "Why save me?"

Xenuk's expression became stern. "Neku, I don't have much time until I'm gone, so I have to confess. I…only really helped you because I wanted to come here."

_What…?_

"When Zarxilt created me," Xenuk began to explain, "He told me about who I was supposed to be. I'm not your real nobody, so he tried to educate me about you. When I was still with the Zoners, I got to learn about their worlds. I even got to meet Xsoh when he was still around…and he told me about Shibuya."

Neku tilted his head. "He did…?" _So Xenuk knew Pi-face's nobody._

"He was the only one of the Zoners that hadn't destroyed his own world. He told me about Shibuya all the time…he loved it there. The more he told me about it, the more I wanted to see this place. But then Xsoh would get bitter…he said the Reaper's Game was run inefficiently. I left the Zoners a little while after hearing Meyxours talk about how he was going to use me to revive the Organization. Xsoh wasn't too happy about my decision, and he kinda laughed at me…so I asked why."

"What'd he tell you?" Neku asked.

"He said I was acting a lot like you."

The statement struck a chord with Neku somehow. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came to him. For some reason, he suddenly felt guilty for defeating Xsoh. It sounded as though he and Xenuk had gotten along quite well. _But Xsoh still wanted to screw over the Reaper's Game,_ he reasoned. _He might not have been all bad, but I guess he still needed to be stopped…_

Xenuk continued. "After I left, Ventus found me and said that Shibuya was in danger. He told me that if I helped you, I'd get to see Shibuya. I told him I'd go along with him, even though he must have known I wanted to see you, too…to see the 'real me.'" He laughed. "The irony…the first and only time I get to see Shibuya, it's falling apart. Serves me right for being selfish, I suppose."

"Xenuk…"

"I guess in the end I was only using you," Xenuk mumbled. "I wanted to see the real me, I wanted to see Shibuya…that was all I wanted. This is my reward for being selfish, seeing my true home falling apart in front of me. I realized that when I came here…so I guess this is my way of repenting for that."

"Don't say that," Neku insisted. "Because of you, Shibuya's going to get fixed right back up."

Xenuk chuckled. "I won't be around to see it."

"Of course you will!"

"Small comfort." Xenuk closed his eyes. "Oh, and one more thing…that pin of yours…"

Neku nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

"You know how to use it?"

_Joshua gave it to me without an explanation, what do _you_ think?_ "…no."

Xenuk smiled peacefully. "You will, Neku. You will."

_How can he be so sure…?_

"Well, bye Neku… Apologize to Ven for me if you see him, will ya?"

Neku nodded. "I will. I promise."

And with one last smile, Xenuk faded completely away, leaving no trace of his existence behind.

* * *

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy IX_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	38. The Final Road Opens

Wow, guys…I honestly had no clue that Xenuk was that well-liked. I kinda feel bad for getting rid of him T.T Anywho, here's the next chapter. Hopefully it'll clear things up, and the final boss fight approaches rapidly! ZOMG!

I was going to put Ven's explanation in here…but I decided to save it for later.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Final Road Opens**

* * *

_**Sora, what's gotten into you? I'm supposed to be the quiet one.**_

_Yeah._

_**Come on, I'm not just a voice in your head. I'm your Nobody.**_

_I know._

_**Which means I. Am. You. Now come on! Tell me what's wrong, or you'll have some sense knocked into you and you won't like what I have in mind.**_

_Roxas…I just don't know. Neku doesn't seem like the type to…well…_

But he was. Neku knelt there, staring silently at the spot where Xenuk had lay just moments before. His eyes were darkened, barely visible from under his bangs. His arms were trembling very, very slightly. Shiki stepped forward, placing a hand on Neku's shoulder, and the boy didn't bother shrugging it off. Instead, he stood slowly, one hand curling into a fist. Then he looked up. "It's crying," he muttered.

"What is?" Riku asked.

"Everything. I don't know if you can hear it, but I can."

Joshua nodded in understanding, but Sora wasn't sure if it was in mere sympathy or if he actually knew what was going on.

Rhyme bit her lip, stepping forward. "Neku, are you okay?"

Neku ignored her question. "He's gone, isn't he?"

Silence.

"Is he?"

The answer came from Rhyme. She closed her eyes momentarily, and when she opened them, they were glazed over. They provided enough of an answer without words.

Neku remained completely silent. Then, almost carefully, he lifted his headphones and placed them on his ears, walking away without a word.

Shiki began forward, but stopped after a few steps, unable to say anything. She turned back, glancing at Joshua, whom only shook his head. "Not now. He needs some time to think."

Zidane, whose appearance had reverted back to normal shortly following the explosion, watched Neku as he left. "He gonna be okay?"

"Course he will," Beat insisted, standing. "He's Neku."

_**Wow…that's kind of rare, coming from Beat.**_

_But he has a point. Still…I think I'm going to go after him._

"What about you?" Sora asked. "Jax…Kuja's gone. What're you going to do now?"

Zidane sighed. "No idea… I don't have a home to go to, thanks to him. I guess I'll just help out the committee with Freya." He turned around. "Shibuya should be calming down. Until then, I'm gonna see if I can clean up any more of the mess around here." With that, he left.

"Zidane wasn't acting like himself," Kairi commented.

"How do you know?" Sora replied. "We haven't known him for that long."

Kairi shook her head. "Well, when we first met him, he was a lot more cheerful. Something must have happened…"

"Freya said he was 'out for blood' when he left," Shiki said, "As though that wasn't like him at all."

Axel crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Sora cast an odd look toward him. _What's up with him?_

_**He's always like that when he's uneasy.**_

_Uneasy? Should we ask him what's wrong?_

_**Nah. If it's important, he'll tell us.**_

"We should keep moving," Riku stated hesitantly. "We've gotten rid of the source of this mess, but there's still one more Zoner out there to take care of."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna go look for Neku."

"Do you even know where he is?" Joshua asked.

"No," Sora replied, "But I have a pretty good idea."

* * *

_He's gone._

_What happened?_

_Took the hit for Neku…now I'll never get to see him again._

_Ven…you going to be okay?_

_Yeah, just gimme a sec._

_I'm going to go find Neku. I'll let you know when I spot him._

_Okay._

_And Ven?_

_Huh?_

…_it'll be okay._

_I hope you're right._

* * *

"Hey, Phones…why the long face?"

Neku didn't answer, and instead fingered his mug. He normally didn't drink coffee, but today he'd settle for it. Hanekoma gave him another concerned look and shrugged. "Well, cheer up. J's got every last Reaper making sure that Shibuya is put back together."

_He said he had someone taking care of Shibuya while he was gone,_ Neku thought. _Obviously whoever he picked didn't do his job._

"I thought you were with the others," Hanekoma said. "Aren't they worried about you?"

He remained silent. Hanekoma was just trying to make him talk so he'd cheer up. Too bad. He didn't feel like talking. Instead, he just shook his head.

Hanekoma saw past it. "Alright, what's wrong? I'll listen."

_No use hiding it…I can trust him, anyway. _"Everything," Neku replied. "Joshua had been telling us that Shibuya was in good hands. When we got here, everything was falling apart. People were screaming, nobodies everywhere…the town itself was just…crumbling. Then we ran into Jaxuk, and we managed to beat him, but he took Xenuk with him."

"Xenuk," Mr. H echoed. "So you knew him, too."

He didn't have the energy to be surprised, so Neku only nodded. "Yeah. How do you know him?"

"Josh told me about him," Hanekoma explained, taking a seat. "Artificial nobody created by one of the Zoners…apparently they didn't create him perfectly, so he's more like a replica if you ask me. He's not the first of his kind, either."

Neku blinked. "He's not…?"

Hanekoma shook his head. "Riku had a replica of himself once. That one's long gone, though. Riku himself saw to that." He sipped his own mug of coffee. "Xenuk was supposed to be a puppet for Zarxilt to manipulate, but they all considered Xenuk a nobody because his heart was fake, just like the rest of him. The main difference between Riku's replica and Xenuk is that Xenuk wasn't bent on killing you…_and_ he was on your side."

"Was," Neku corrected, sighing. "He's gone now."

"Gone?"

"Nethicite. He took the hit for me."

Mr. H took a deep breath. "Well…if it's any consolation, there's a chance that he might have…well, died instead of just faded."

"How is that any better?" Neku grumbled, looking away. "He's still gone."

"I can't be sure right now," Hanekoma explained, "But if he died, he's probably unconscious in the UG right now. He'll have to go through a game to come back, but if that's the case then he isn't gone for good."

Neku sighed. _It's not a guarantee…but if it's any hope that I'll see him again-_

"There you are. We've been looking all over for you!"

Hanekoma was the first to look up. "Hey, you two. Come on in."

Sora and Riku entered quietly. "The others are making sure the rest of the town is getting fixed up," Riku explained before looking around. "So this is WildKat…"

Neku shifted uncomfortably. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Sora was worried about you," Riku stated bluntly, choosing a seat near Neku, as did his friend.

"Why would you worry about me?" Neku asked.

Sora shrugged. "Because that's what partners do. We look after each other, right?"

_He's reminding me way too much of Shiki._ "Sora…that was ages ago. We're not in the Reaper's Game anymore."

"So? I'm still your friend; that won't change."

Riku smirked at his friend, but Neku stared contemplatively at his coffee. "Well, what're we supposed to do now?"

"You two hungry?" Hanekoma interrupted.

Predictably, Sora was easily distracted. "Could you make some pancakes for us?"

Unlike his friend, however, Riku stayed on topic. "Meyxours is still out there somewhere. If we don't find him, more people are going to get hurt."

"We don't even know where he is," Neku weakly protested.

Sora shook his head. "We'll find him. You'll see."

The sureness of the boy's tone caught Neku off guard. _You'd think I'd be used to that by now but…he doesn't have any better idea than I do, and he's still acting so confident._

_**Neku…Sakuraba…**_

_You again. What are you trying to tell me?_

_**Go back…to the beginning…**_

_Back to the beginning…?_

"What are you talking about, Neku?"

The former proxy froze when he realized he had spoken out loud. "It just came to me. I don't know what it means."

Hanekoma walked around the counter and approached the group. "Pancakes'll be ready in a few. Neku, I got something for you."

Neku blinked. "Huh?"

In response, the man tossed a small pouch toward Neku and grinned. "Might want to open it outside, though."

"What is it, a bomb?"

Mr. H laughed and didn't answer. There was a familiar flashing sound and Sora jumped a bit, glancing at the hand he had on the table. Currently clutched in his fingers was Remembered Dream. He and Riku exchanged glances, and they promptly stood. "Hanekoma's right. Outside."

Shrugging, Neku exited, followed closely by Sora and Riku. He opened the pouch and reached inside, first pulling out a small scrap of paper.

_Neku, I fetched this from your home before all the chaos began. Don't worry about your family; they're completely safe. Tenho and BJ saw to that ages ago. –Mr. H_

"What's it say?" Sora inquired.

"Hanekoma got something from my house before the Nobodies wrecked the city," Neku replied as he reached into the pouch. After a few seconds, he managed to pull out an all-too-familiar object. "…why did he go through all that trouble to get my player pin?"

"That's a player pin?" Riku asked. "I was expecting something more…"

Neku shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I was kind of surprised when it first worked, too."

Riku crossed his arms. "Well, why did Hanekoma go through all the trouble of finding it, then?"

Their response came in the form of a bright flash as the player pin rose into the air, surrounded by a familiar glow. Sora glanced down at the keyblade in his hand, and nodded to Riku. "Neku, you might want to step back."

Deciding to question these events later, Neku backed up a few feet next to Riku. "What's going on?"

A light gathered at the tip of Sora's keyblade, followed by a shimmering glow on the ground in a shape suspiciously similar to the crown pendant Sora wore. The wind around him began to swirl and spin, causing Sora to squint, and a myriad of bright lights illuminated the area and dragged it into what appeared to be a different plane altogether. Neku's jaw dropped. _Whoa…what _is_ this?_

The player pin hovering in the air flashed, a beam of light soaring into the sky and summoning a large keyhole-esque shape. Opening his eyes, Sora took only a single, brief look at it before he leapt back, aiming the keyblade's tip upward. The radiance that was there before gathered again, bursting upward and into the keyhole, prompting a clearly audible _click_ and illuminating the area to a stark white before the strange and beautiful abyss faded.

The player pin clinked to the pavement, and Sora snapped out of his daze in time to dismiss the keyblade. Neku stepped forward and picked his beloved pin up off the ground (carefully, in case it decided to seriously harm him). "What just happened?"

"A new road is open," Sora announced, as though to answer him. "And I get the feeling that Meyxours is somewhere along it."

Riku crossed his arms and nodded. "We'd better go get the others. Neku, are you coming?"

Neku nodded. "Yeah. It's time to finish this."

It was then that Hanekoma peeked his head out of his shop. "Hey, your pancakes are done, you two!"

After a moment's hesitation, Sora grinned. "How about we have lunch first?"

Riku shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I'm starving."

_How can he think of food at a time like this?_ Neku wondered, but he followed anyway.

Behind them, a vague, ghostly figure watched them. The moment they vanished into the shop's interior, it nodded in approval and flew away, disappearing around a corner.

* * *

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy IX_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	39. Intentions Revealed

So…the story is getting so close to its close. This just might be under 45 chapters after all! Also, I just realized that this fic has over 300 reviews. Holy crud…

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Intentions Revealed**

* * *

"So you've opened the path already," Joshua mumbled.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, and Meyxours is somewhere down it."

"How do you know?" Beat asked. "Not like you saw him or nothin'."

The question caused Sora to hesitate. He never really had thought about these things logically; he just got a feeling of where he needed to go and followed it. It had never failed him. "I dunno, really…I just get the feeling."

"You sure a feeling is going to show you the way?" Axel asked skeptically.

"Of course!" Sora insisted, feeling a bit of Roxas's own vehemence leaking in. "It's never failed me."

Kairi smiled in approval.

"At any rate," Neku began, "Meyxours is in for some serious hurt when I find him. Anyone that messes with Shibuya messes with _me_."

Joshua gave Neku a very brief, alarmed look, but quickly hid it under a calm and amused expression. "You don't say…"

Rhyme shivered. "Um…guys? Do you feel something, or is that just me?"

"Must be just you," Axel replied. "What's up?"

"There you are. I was hoping I'd catch you in time."

Before them appeared a blue light, slowly forming into the shape of a girl roughly Kairi's age. The differences were clear, however: this girl was not only wearing different clothing, but her hair also looked slightly messier. Rhyme's eyes widened at the sight of the newcomer. "I know you! You're the girl from the white place!"

Beat's jaw dropped. "You know this chick?"

Rhyme nodded. "Yeah. When I was asleep, she talked to me a few times."

The girl nodded. "I'm glad to see you're alright. My name is Aqua. It's nice to meet you all in person."

Neku nodded in reply. "Um…hey there."

Aqua glanced his way. "You wouldn't happen to be Neku Sakuraba, by any chance?"

The question startled Neku, but he nodded anyway. "Erm…yeah."

"I thought so," Aqua replied, smiling. "Ventus told me a lot about you. He seems quite fond of you."

"You know Ven?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, and he was _supposed_ to be here with me a while ago. Who knows where he's gone off to this time…"

Neku blinked. "You mean, you two were _both_ keeping an eye on me? I know Ventus was, but…"

"No," Aqua replied. "I was making sure Rhyme was kept stable. _Ventus_ was supposed to stick close to _you_ and make sure the Zoners didn't kill you or anything, but apparently you didn't need his help for that. He got pretty messed up after Port Royal, but he won't admit it."

"Where is he now?" Sora asked.

Aqua crossed her arms. "Not where he should be, that's for sure…Ven, show yourself already!"

"Hey, can't a guy mope in peace?"

"You can't fool me; you're not even the moping type. Now get your butt out here."

"Fine, _fine_! Yeesh…" And in a calm flash of green light, Ventus appeared. "There. Happy?"

"Don't apologize to me," Aqua replied, pointing to the group. "Apologize to _them_."

Ventus immediately noticed the familiar group of people nearby and winced, floating back a few inches. "Geez, Aqua! You could have warned me!"

Aqua crossed his arms. "Well? You owe them. You said so yourself."

Ventus rubbed his neck. "Yeah…I did." He turned to the group. "I owe you guys a serious apology."

"And a thorough explanation," Axel added, still astounded. "Honestly, it's like I've got déjà vu or something. You look exactly like-"

"Like Roxas, I know." Ventus sighed. "I get that a lot."

"But who exactly are you?" Sora asked, scratching his head. "I mean, we know your real name is Ventus, but…"

"Ew."

"…what'd I say?"

"Don't call me that," Ventus explained.

"But it's your name, isn't it?" Riku said. "What's so bad about that?"

"Ventus makes me sound like I'm an old man," The ghost scoffed, brushing off his jacket even though there wasn't any dust on it. "Everyone always called me Ven."

"I've heard your names before," Joshua mused aloud. "You had a friend named Terra, correct?"

Ventus nodded. "I figured you'd know that. About ten years ago, we got separated…but there was some guy we were fighting…" He rubbed the side of his head and winced. "I'd tell you the whole story if I could, but my memories are kinda fuzzy. I only remember bits and pieces…"

"Why are you still around?" Neku asked. "I mean, you look kind of like a…well, a ghost."

"That's probably what we are now," Aqua replied. "We aren't exactly sure. Around the time the Zoners formed, we just woke up and found ourselves like this. Ventus said he felt something strange from one of them, and before we knew it we were involved."

"Which one did you feel this…vibe from?" Neku asked.

"Xsoh."

Sora cast a stray glance to Neku, whom clenched his fists. "Keep going…"

"He didn't know it, but the other Zoners were only planning on using Xsoh as a living power gauge. They wanted to test Neku and see if he had enough power to revive the Organization."

"Did I?" Neku asked. "I managed to revive one of them, at least."

Ventus shrugged. "Revive isn't really the right term…you really just activated his data. The real Axel is probably already back by now, but we can't say for sure."

Sora felt excitement well up within him, and he couldn't help but smile along. _So maybe Axel is out there, just waiting for us to-_

_**Whoa, easy there, Sora. That's **_**my**_** line.**_

_Sorry, Roxas. I guess a bit of that excitement of yours leaked over._

_**Admit it. You want to meet him, too.**_

_Of course I do._

"But you only had enough power to activate _one_ member's data," Ven said as he looked away. "The Zoners decided that if their preferred power source – which was Neku – wasn't enough, then they'd have to go after the one power source that would _never_ fail…"

Noticing the grim look on Ven's face, Sora was highly hesitant to ask him to continue. "What power source would that be…?"

Ventus bit his lip, a look of grave fear on his face. "Kingdom Hearts itself."

"What?!"

_What?!_

_**WHAT?!**_

"But that's the heart of all worlds!" Riku exclaimed. "Meyxours has to be crazy to go after that! He can't handle that much power without going insane!"

Ventus shook his head. "It's more than that, though. All hearts begin and end there, and every time one goes back its power grows from everything that heart learned and endured. Kingdom Hearts isn't just a place where hearts are born and return to, it's a place of infinite power and wisdom. In other words, the perfect power source."

Sora's gaze became stern. _Another threat to Kingdom Hearts…they want to revive the Organization this time, but…why?_

_**Who cares? The Organization had a good enough goal, but they were going about it the wrong way. Just one big case of "Good Concept Bad Execution" to me; if something involves hurting others, using your members like tools and killing those that don't follow your every barking order, I want no part in it.**_

_I wouldn't either._

_**I know.**_

"It might be a good enough power source," Aqua pointed out, "But a person can only handle so much power. There are only a few people that have ever actually been inside the depths of Kingdom Hearts and made it out without a scratch."

"Who?" Sora asked.

In response, Aqua and Ventus exchanged glances and laughed quietly. "We thought you of all people would know the answer to that," Ventus replied.

"Anyway," Aqua continued, ignoring everyone's inquiring looks, "Meyxours is probably headed out to find Kingdom Hearts right now. If you can open the new road, Sora, you should be able to get there before him."

"We already opened the road," Sora replied.

Ventus quirked an eyebrow. "Well, now you just have to follow it. I'm pretty sure you'll find the place at the other end familiar."

"Hang on a minute," Riku began in suspicion. "How do you two play into us getting involved?"

At the question, Aqua turned away sternly. "Ven…we have to go."

The ghostly boy blinked. "We do?"

"Yes. Now."

"Why?"

"Where are you going?" Neku asked. "I still have a lot of questions to ask you!"

Aqua glanced back. "Neku, Ventus and I have to do something very important right now. If you need us, we'll know. We promise. Until then…" With that, she vanished.

Ventus sighed. "That was…sudden. Well, I guess I'd better get moving."

"Will you come back?" Rhyme asked.

"Of course," Ventus replied. "I dunno what Aqua wants, but if I don't go, then…well, it won't be a pretty sight."

Neku stepped forward awkwardly. "Ven…one last thing."

The ghost paused. "Yeah?"

"Xenuk…he wanted to apologize."

The silence was deafening. After a few seconds, Ventus gave Neku a kind look. "I saw what happened to him. He did what his heart was telling him to."

"But his heart wasn't real," Neku protested softly. "Nothing about him was real. It was all fake…"

"What's real and what's fake is a matter of perspective," Ventus replied. "Xenuk believed the same thing. He knew he was only a fake you, and to him you were the only thing that was 'real' about him. I think when he saved you, he realized that there _was_ something about him that was real."

"What's that?"

"The fact that you accepted him as a friend."

Neku stared, almost wide-eyed at the ghost. "I…"

"Xenuk wanted to thank you," Ventus continued, "But he never had the chance to. He planned on helping you save Shibuya to the very end, but when Jaxuk began to activate the Nethicite, he decided that it wasn't worth saving Shibuya if you weren't there to have it back like you were meant to."

The thought lingered in the air for a few seconds, and Neku looked in his hand at the pin that Joshua had given him before closing his hand into a fist and looking up. "I won't let his sacrifice be in vain," he said. "Xenuk bought me this one last chance. I won't waste it."

Ventus nodded approvingly. "Thanks, Neku." He then turned around and vanished.

* * *

_There you are. What took you so long?_

_Sorry, Aqua…Neku wanted to relay a message to me._

_Oh. Well, what was it?_

_From Xenuk…he wanted to apologize._

…_Ven. It's time._

_Yeah. Let's do it._

* * *

"Time to hit the road, I guess," Riku sighed. "You guys ready?"

Sora nodded. "You know I am."

"You always are, Sora."

_Doesn't make it any different._

"Where will that road take us?" Shiki asked.

Rather than to answer her question, Neku spun on the spot. "You can't go!" he insisted.

Shiki crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"Because it's…" Neku struggled to find the right words. "…way too dangerous."

_**Ha, where have we seen this before, Sora?**_

Roxas's comment caused Sora to chuckle inwardly. _Yeah…that does kinda seem familiar._

"Neku's right," Joshua added. "Besides, Shibuya is still in need of some serious repairs and cleaning up. I'll need most of you to stay here."

Naturally, Beat did not agree at all. "Whachutalkinbout, yo?! After all we've been through, we can't see this to the end?!"

It was then that Kairi stepped forward, biting her lip and suddenly acting shyer than before. "Beat…I know you want to help, but your place is here in Shibuya. The city needs you."

_**Naminé…?**_

Sora remained silent, swallowing nervously. "Na…Kairi's right. You guys need to stay here. We'll take care of Meyxours."

Rhyme nodded. "Well, before you go…take this." She pulled out Sora's hand and placed a familiar object in it. "It's the feather that Anima gave me. I feel like it wants to help you."

The key bearer looked curiously at the feather in his hand. It was a deep, beautiful red, fading into a flame-like yellow toward the center. It was also comfortingly warm. Looking up at Rhyme, he nodded. "Thank you."

"Be careful," Shiki warned.

"And come back safe," Beat added, "Cos if you don't you gonna regret it!"

Neku nodded, grinning. "I will. I promise."

After their final farewells, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Neku and Axel entered the portal and boarded the _Excalibur_. Take-off was silent, and Neku watched as his home once again faded away from view. Sora bit his lip and silently promised himself that it wouldn't be the last time Neku saw his home.

"Where is this road going to lead us?" Axel asked.

Sora shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's supposed to be a place we know."

"Traverse Town, maybe?" Riku suggested.

Neku looked up. "What's Traverse Town?"

"It's the first new world I ever went to," Sora explained, fond memories rising within him already. "If your world is taken by the Heartless, that's where you end up if you make it out alive."

"What's it like there?" Neku asked.

The brunette chuckled fondly. "It's always night there, but there are so many lights. I woke up in the alley of the first district…there are several shops there. The second district has a hotel and a really nice clock tower, but all the other shops there are closed. There's a house in the third district, along with the plaza there, but it's usually pretty empty aside from heartless. The place is kind of…well, it feels nostalgic for some reason."

"Nostalgic," Riku echoed, smirking. "Nice vocabulary, Sora."

_Roxas, was that you?_

_**Nope. You did that all by yourself.**_

"Sora first met Leon there," Kairi added.

"How'd that go?" Axel asked.

Sora winced. "He beat the crap out of me, temporarily stole my keyblade, and hauled me off to a hotel."

Neku laughed. "Wow, no wonder he doesn't talk much."

"He did it for my own safety!" Sora insisted, his face going red.

"I think we're here, guys."

At Riku's words, everyone turned to the front window. Sora held his breath, expecting to see the familiar reds and other warm colors of Traverse Town, the clock tower…but as he looked closer, none of it was there. Riku hesitated before speaking. "Sora…that's not Traverse Town, that's…"

Riku's sentence was cut off as a familiar blipping caught their attention. "Out of fuel again?!" Sora cried. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Are we going to crash?" Axel asked wearily. Sora felt Roxas in the back of his mind stirring with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"No," Riku replied. "We're going to make an emergency landing. Everyone brace yourselves!"

Sora gripped the wheel like his life depended on it (which technically it did at this point). The moment he was sure everyone was buckled in, he plunged toward the world before them, diving dangerously fast toward the surface. Once he was sure he was in the world's gravitational field, he let off the gas and let gravity do the work for him. As the surface below neared, he pulled up just in time to skid across a vast plain of blue. The sound of the ocean's surface rushing upward in protest to their landing echoed loudly, and after seconds that felt like they should have been hours, all was calm again.

"Water again?" Axel moaned. "We're not in Port Royal again, are we?"

"No," Sora replied, finding it hard to speak again.

"But we can't be in Atlantica," Neku pointed out, glancing at his legs briefly, "So where are we?"

Sora looked out the window to see a familiar bit of land in the distance. "We're…we're on Destiny Islands."

* * *

Need I say more?

Zoners:

The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X_)  
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy IX_)  
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI_)  
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (_Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII_)


	40. Homecoming

Whelp...here we go. The beginning of the end.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Homecoming**

* * *

It only took fifteen minutes for the group to figure out how they were going to reach shore, and they ended up rowing ashore using Sora and Riku's rowboats. Neku ended up sitting in Riku's boat, running his fingers through the ocean water and marveling how the sun sparkled off its surface. The island itself was beautiful as well: white sands, palm trees, even a little waterfall off to the side. It was like paradise; Neku could hardly imagine the heartless devouring a place such as this.

"It's different from Shibuya, huh?" Riku finally said as they neared the docks.

Neku nodded. "Yeah."

Riku smirked, chuckling. "And to think…two years ago, I'd give anything to get away from this place."

"Why?"

"I was too curious for my own good," Riku explained. "Kairi came from Radiant Garden, but she said she didn't remember anything, so I started to wonder if there were other worlds out there, and why we were just stuck in this small, boring place. With every day that passed by, I wanted more and more to get out there." He laughed humorlessly. "I guess we all learned the meaning of 'be careful what you wish for' the hard way."

Once ashore, Riku returned to the ship to fetch Axel. Sora whispered something to Kairi and promptly placed a hand on Neku's shoulder. "Hey…can I show you something, Neku?"

Neku shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Smiling brightly, Sora led Neku up a wooden ramp and past the waterfall, where he got on his hands and knees and began to crawl under some tree roots. "Through here. It's a bit of a squeeze, but you'll make it."

Now entirely curious, Neku knelt down and shimmied under the roots that Sora had disappeared underneath. Past the small passageway was a much larger one – a small, cave-like hall. It was rather dark, and the only way Neku could make out Sora was through the heightened sense of sight that the keyblade had granted him so long ago…but even then it was pretty dark. Sora took Neku's wrist. "This way."

It only took about fifteen seconds to reach their destination: a cavernous room about the size of Neku's own bedroom, perhaps a bit larger. The stone walls were riddled with chalk drawings (possibly done by very young children), and at the far end was a large wooden door with no knob, keyhole or hinges. Light filtered through a small hole in the roof, but other than that the room was fairly simple. "What is this place?" Neku asked.

"The secret place," Sora replied. "Now grown-ups allowed."

Neku would have remarked about Sora's choice of vocabulary, but the overall fondness of the keybearer's tone caused him to remain silent. This place was indeed very special to him. Instead, Neku contented himself with examining the drawings on the walls. "Who drew all these…?" he muttered.

"My friends and I did," Sora replied, sitting down and leaning against the knobless door. "I first found this place when I was only seven years old or so. I thought there was a monster in this cave, so I got Riku to come in with me."

"Was there a monster?" Neku asked.

Sora laughed. "Of course not. The wind blowing over the hole in the roof was making the noise I heard. Ever since then though, we came here a lot more often, to draw on the walls or just to hide." He stared at the ground a moment, and hugged his knees. "When the heartless came, this was the last place I saw Kairi…and for some reason, there was a door at the cave roots. After I ran in, Kairi just disappeared, and I was thrown outside on the last bit of land left of the islands, but even that didn't last long."

Neku swallowed, somehow feeling the air grow heavy with Sora's remorse. He sat down next to his friend. "It must've been hard for you."

"It was," Sora replied. "I was waiting for my mom to finish cooking dinner when I saw the storm from home, and I came all the way out here to make sure our raft wouldn't get washed out to sea. When I got to the island, there were heartless everywhere, and Riku…he wasn't acting like himself at all. I tried to reach him, but the darkness took him before I could get to him. That's when the keyblade showed up."

"The keyblade came to you when the heartless invaded," Neku repeated. _Just like with me…it came right when I needed protection the most._

Sora nodded. "I think it was really meant for Riku, but when Riku fell to darkness, it decided on me instead." He snickered. "I wasn't exactly the first choice of hero, I guess…but I did what I had to. After the islands vanished, I woke up in Traverse Town. I thought this had all been some really weird dream, but after Leon fought me, I started to realize how real it all was. Sometimes I wonder if I'm _still_ dreaming."

With nothing more to say, Sora smiled, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the door behind him. Neku couldn't help but smile at the way the brunette looked; so peaceful and content, even with all of the chaos and fighting he had to put up with. This place – simple as it was – was truly precious to him. Neku could feel it, too; something about the cave put him at ease. His eyelids began to grow heavy, and he realized how tired he was.

How long he sat there, he wasn't sure. Eventually, Neku felt something stir near him. He gave a lazy glance toward Sora, but the boy was still napping. He pressed his back against the door and sighed. _It's so quiet here…no wonder Sora likes it._

While he thought about it, Neku began to worry. What horrors had Sora witnessed when a place as peaceful as this was torn apart by the heartless? Neku hadn't seen a world fall to such a fate, but if the said world was also his home, Sora must have been terrified. What if they failed? What if Meyxours tore down this world as well on his quest for power?

A sudden warmth in the air made Neku shiver. Someone else was here aside from Sora. But who? Roxas couldn't be wandering around; Neku would be able to see him. He hugged his knees, glancing warily around, but the warmth only wrapped around him in attempt to calm him. Deciding whatever it was that was screwing with his head wasn't malevolent, Neku relaxed and sighed tiredly.

_It's kind of fitting, I guess,_ Neku thought. _If this is where Sora left for his journey, then it would be the proper place to end it. Now that I think about it, this whole trip has been crazy…heartless, nobodies, mermaids, pirates, the belly of a whale, a world inside a computer…I hardly know what to expect next out of all this. It's amazing, and kind of scary, too…_

_**Don't be afraid.**_

Neku hesitated. The voice was a lot clearer now, as though it were a person standing right in front of him rather than a distant call. As though sensing his fear, the warmth became stronger. Whoever it was, it was trying to help him.

_**Neku Sakuraba.**_

_That would be my name,_ Neku replied mentally, his eyes closing in sudden fatigue. _Who are you?_

_**We have watched you for so long.**_

_Fascinating, but it doesn't answer the question._

There was no response, but Neku felt his energy returning to him. When he opened his eyes, Sora was still fast asleep next to him. Roxas, visible in his ghost-like form, sat Indian-style nearby. "He sleeps like a log," the nobody muttered.

Neku smirked. "Sora's probably exhausted."

Roxas shook his head. "I doubt it. The only time he's exhausted is when he finds out he's failed at something. Then his energy just…leaves him."

"I take it you've seen that before?"

"I _am_ him. I haven't just seen it, I've _felt_ it."

The former proxy bit his lip. Roxas began to speak again when he spun toward the entrance of the cave. "Someone's coming."

Neku nodded, standing. "Wake Sora up, will you?" he said, but he exited before an answer could come. After crawling through the roots again, Neku was promptly met with the sight of Riku peeking underneath the roots. He hesitated. "Erm…hey."

Riku smirked. "I figured this would be the first thing Sora did."

Apologizing with a grin, Neku slipped out into the open air again, followed by Sora (whom emerged several minutes later). Riku led them over to the dock, where Kairi was trying to calm Axel. "He could hardly sit still on the way over," Riku explained.

"Axel _hates_ water," Sora repeated, although Neku was sure it wasn't Sora talking. "He was lucky Demyx was such a big fan of it, otherwise all of the Atlantica missions the Organization made would have ended in disaster."

"How so?" Riku asked.

Sora shook his head. "Let's just say that vaporizing the entire ocean would probably be the least of what he'd do."

Suddenly, the air went frigid. Neku could have sworn he saw his breath as he cried out in shock. "What the-"

"You felt it, too?" Sora said.

The former proxy nodded. "Yeah…it's like someone just stuck me in a freezer."

Riku shuddered. "I don't like this. We should-"

"Ah, fitting that I would find such a beautiful place just as my search is ending…"

Neku felt his blood boil in anger as he whipped out Music of Shibuya, his companions following suit with their own weapons. "Show yourself, Meyxours!"

In a swirl of black, the familiar figure of Meyxours appeared before them, standing lightly on the white sands of the island. "I was hoping to delay my appearance, but you are all interfering with my goals."

"Good," Axel replied, "Because your goals are _garbage_."

"Birds of a feather flock together it seems," Meyxours replied, "But no matter. Eliminating you guarantees my goals will be met."

"I thought you were only after me," Neku replied, "Since I apparently betrayed you and all."

Meyxours sneered. "Fool. Do you not know your part in this disaster?" He flicked a finger.

The music surged in protest. Neku crumbled to his knees, the grains of sand rubbing against his skin. He screamed silently, his fingers clenching and his shoulders trembling. "Wh…"

"Neku!" Sora cried. "What's wrong!"

"Music of Shibuya," Neku replied hoarsely. "Meyxours did something to it…"

"Did you honestly think that it was the _keyblade_ that sang to you this whole time?" Meyxours spat. "You are oblivious to the music's true meaning…"

Neku dragged his gaze upward. "What…?"

"It was not your _keyblade_ singing that music to you. It was the worlds themselves…namely _Shibuya_."

"Shibuya…?" Neku echoed. "But how? I've heard the music this whole time, even when I wasn't in Shibuya…"

"I could tell you that," Meyxours replied, "And I'm sure it would put you at ease, but I have priorities, unlike you _children_." He lifted his hand into the air, creating a ripple in reality itself. A long, crooked staff appeared, an orb of white light floating above it. Meyxours gripped it, bringing it down to his side. "And it would be much simpler to tell you once you're in your last moments, when you're so much easier to control."

Sora grit his teeth. "Neku isn't your tool!" He protested. "And you're not getting Kingdom Hearts!"

Meyxours flinched. "What…of course you would know…it led you here, didn't it? You _are_ connected…"

"Guess again," Axel replied. "No one led us here. We came on our own, and we had a friend warn us, too."

"It matters not how or why you came," Meyxours shot back with a sneer, the temperature in the air plummeting by the second. "You will all meet the same fate, just as Xenuk before you!"

* * *

Let the final battle commence!


	41. The Deceptive Evoker

The moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty: The Deceptive Evoker**

* * *

How anyone could fight in such cold temperatures was beyond Neku's comprehension. He could barely grip Music of Shibuya. Sora was shivering very visibly, Riku was staying as near to Sora as he could, and Kairi had dropped her keyblade entirely to rub her shoulders to warmth…a vain effort, as the temperature continued to drop. The only one not bothered by the freeze was Axel.

"I haven't felt this cold since I last ran into Vexen," Riku grumbled, rubbing his arms.

Meyxours sneered. "All of my hard work…it's inconceivable that it was all ruined by incompetent children such as yourself."

Neku scowled, his anger rising. "Who're you calling incompetent!" He shouted, lunching forward. Meyxours floated backward, smacking him on the ribs with his staff. Neku's knees buckled and he fell to the sand, which was colder than normal. Meyxours hovered over the water, which froze below him into a thick sheet of ice. Axel hurled his chakrams at Meyxours, one missing by inches and the other nicking him on the side. The stumble was long enough for Sora to send a thunder spell at him, but it wasn't enough to have any real effect.

_Nothing's working!_ Neku cried inwardly. _We can't keep going like this! It just keeps getting colder and colder!_

Sora hurled a number of fireballs alongside Riku, and though Meyxours stumbled a bit, he hovered out of the way just in time to avoid one of Kairi's own attacks. In response, however, Meyxours was content with bludgeoning her with his staff as she began to retreat. The strike landed right across her back and sent her skidding onto the beach, half-way in the water. Angered at the sight of this, Sora lashed out, only to be deflected with a sudden wall of ice that shattered on impact but still sent him flying backward.

"T-Too cold," Kairi stuttered, rising only to her knees. "I c-can't…move…"

The temperature plummeted more as Riku attempted to make a mark on Meyxours. He managed to slice across the nobody's side, supplying a gash in his coat and skin alike. Roaring in protest, Meyxours shot a stream of white from his fingers, landing a shot on Riku's arm and freezing it solid.

Something pulsed with familiarity in Neku's mind, and he clutched his skull. Shaking it off, he hurled himself forward, only to find an invisible force grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air. The music suddenly became horridly silent, and he gasped for breath as his feet dangled below him.

"I'm disappointed," Meyxours began, grinning. "And here I expected you to put up a better fight. So much for being Shibuya's…well, nevermind. You _are_ only a proxy." He tossed Neku onto the sand. "I would have thought Shibuya would choose someone more…_able_."

The protest Neku would have made was caught in his throat from the cold. His fingers were trembling, threatening to drop Music of Shibuya. The only sound he could hear was a malevolent wind whistling in his ears. If it was so cold that the _ocean_ was freezing…how was he even still alive?

Meyxours seemed to be enjoying their sudden cold shock. "Do you feel it? The icy, bitter feeling around you…that which we have endured for so long, thanks to you."

"I dunno," Axel replied. "Last time I checked, weren't nobodies incapable of feeling?"

"You are one yourself," Meyxours replied coolly. "But you, Axel, are even less…you are a _replica_ of a Nobody." He lifted his hands. "And in the very coldest of cold, even the brightest of flames can wither and snuff out…"

"He's right," Riku wheezed, shivering. "Any c-colder and you can't use fire…"

"And he's not about to s-stop any time soon," Sora added, curling up in a futile attempt to keep warm. "We'll freeze to death at this rate!"

Axel grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "Then I don't have a choice," he stated. "I'm using Fail Safe."

"Fail safe?" Neku echoed.

Sora gave Axel a strong glare. "No."

Axel hesitated. "What…?"

"No, Axel. I won't let you."

"There's no choice," Axel protested. "If you guys are going to live, I have to-"

"I'm not losing you again!" Sora shouted.

As Neku watched, Sora's image began to flicker just barely between him and Roxas. The keybearer's nobody was trying to break through, and so far he was winning. _Sora…he needs help-_

_**Let his heart do what it must.**_

The voice caught Neku off guard. It was still clear as day, like when he had heard it in the cave. In spite of this, he heeded it. He couldn't interfere here.

"Meyxours is right," Axel reasoned. "I'm not the real Axel. The real Axel is probably already whole and walking around, resuming his life. Besides, if it gets any colder, you'll die. That means _I'll_ be the one losing _you_."

"But-"

"You're not stopping me."

Sora grit his teeth, his eyes glazing over. With no further argument, he looked away. "When I find the real you, I'm going to give him a serious beating."

Axel laughed. "That's the Roxas we know and love," he jested. "See you on the other side, then."

With that, he leapt forward, lifting his hands in the air. His chakrams spun around him in a circle, the flames growing brighter and more intense. They spread from his chakrams and began to light Axel himself. Finally, Axel roared in fury and a raging inferno burst outward explosively, consuming all in its path. The world around Neku flared with heat, his vision blinded by white.

It took several seconds for the fire to dim to a manageable level. The ice everywhere had melted, leaving the air humid. Meyxours was shocked by the sudden development, but remained unscathed for the most part. Music began to pulse in Neku's heart, urging him forward, but he remained still. Axel lay on the beach, arms spread outward, a few embers sparking one last time. His chest heaved slowly, each breath labored.

Meyxours wiped a stream of blood from his chin. "A noble sacrifice…a shame it will be in vain."

"It won't," Axel replied, smirking. "It wasn't last time, and this time won't be any different."

_Right til the very end,_ Neku mused, his eyes glazing over. _Axel…I'd like to meet your somebody, too._

With one last grin, Axel shot Sora a thumbs-up. "The rest is up to you. Say hi to the real me for me, alright?"

Sora nodded. "I will. Promise."

Satisfied, Axel's eyes closed, and he vanished, leaving no trace of himself behind. Sora shook, a tear sliding out of one eye. Neku felt the music around him softening. _But who's crying? Roxas…or Sora…?_

"Now do you see the weakness of the heart?" Meyxours sneered. "Emotions will only slow you down and keep you from realizing what's truly important. What's more, they cause you to make rash decisions without concern for what's best. They make you disposable…just like Axel."

The music surged as Sora's glare turned deadly. The key bearer shouted something indiscernible as he tore through the air, slashing wildly at Meyxours with Remembered Dream. Anger and rage boiled in Neku's own veins as well, and he didn't hesitate to let loose a furious cry as he, too, ran forward.

What happened next went faster than it seemed. Sora landed a blow on Meyxours's side, unbalancing him, and Neku smashed Music of Shibuya into his arm, his grip loosening and sending his staff flying through the air. Kairi, her steps elegant as they always were, spun into a strike, her keyblade slicing through the staff and causing it to shatter. Riku made one last move as he stood, sending a barrage of black fire at the Nobody and knocking him from the air.

Meyxours landed on the sand, gasping for breath. Neku pointed his keyblade at him. "It's over, Meyxours," he hissed. "You've lost. The Zoners are done for."

"Fool," Meyxours wheezed. "You still do not know where your power comes from?"

"I don't care at this point," Neku replied. "You killed Xenuk, you forced Axel to sacrifice himself just to make a point, you nearly destroyed Shibuya, and now you want to destroy Sora's home too…used or no, I'm not letting you get away with that."

"Shibuya was not entirely my doing," Meyxours hissed in protest. "For one, I sent Jaxuk there to cause chaos and lure you there, but with that world pulsing in accordance to everything that happened to you…"

Neku froze. "What…?"

The Deceptive Evoker laughed. "You didn't know? With everything you did, Shibuya mimicked. Its music was out of control of even the Composer himself."

"But why?" Sora asked. "I thought that the Composer is supposed to be head honcho!"

"Since Neku is directly tied to Shibuya, as he was the one that decided its fate, it granted him its power to stay alive…and save not only Shibuya, but all the worlds. I didn't go after you because of your _betrayal_, Neku…your keyblade, like your friends', ties you directly with Kingdom Hearts. And due to that, as long as you exist, I cannot attain my goal!"

It was almost too much to comprehend at once. Neku's breath had held for a moment. His power came from Shibuya? But that meant… "So, Shibuya's been out of control because of me?"

Meyxours laughed. "You are a foolish boy," he said as he staggered to his feet. "I had hoped to draw on Shibuya's power for my goals, but I'm afraid that Shibuya must be _eliminated _in order to attain them." He summoned a sphere of white-hot energy. "I will go to whatever means I must to get what I want!"

Neku knew that he couldn't avoid this hit…nor could he withstand it. He stood, wide-eyed, like a deer in headlights. _Even in his dying breath, he's still powerful. This is it…I'm done for…_

"Enough, Meyxours. Your role in this performance has ended."

Everyone, including Meyxours, froze in shock. There, hovering behind them, was a figure cloaked in black, his hood shoved back. Narrowed eyes glared at Meyxours, his arms crossed. His voice alone, however, gave away who he was.

Riku's jaw dropped. "Jaxuk?! But I thought we already defeated you…"

"I'm flattered," Jaxuk replied, smirking at Neku. "Was my performance convincing enough that you actually thought I was dead? No…I was only waiting for my encore, and here I am."

Meyxours himself was surprised by this development. "Jaxuk…perfect timing. Are you here to help me dispose of these pathetic children?"

His statement went unheeded. "Apparently you haven't read your script, Meyxours," Jaxuk chided. "The lead role is not yours…it's mine."

"What…?!"

Jaxuk leaned downward. "Didn't you hear me earlier? I said _all_ the actors were in place. That included _you_."

"You…" Meyxours gasped, his composure vanishing. "You traitor…you were planning this all along!"

Jaxuk sneered. "For a summoner and former maester, you are easily deceived." A grin slid up his lips as he summoned an attack of his own. "I must commend you on ridding me of Axel…that fool knew I was still alive."

"He knew?!" Sora cried.

"Of course he knew," Jaxuk replied. "Axel has faked his own death plenty of times to know that I had done the same. He wanted to take me out himself…figured I'd taken enough damage for one lifetime thanks to the nethicite. Anyway…" He turned back to Meyxours. "You've outlived your usefulness…_Seymour_."

A blast of white shot from Jaxuk's palm, engulfing Meyxours, silencing his scream of agony and dissolving him alive. Neku watched in horror as the nobody's expression of terror was the last thing to face. When he was gone, Jaxuk licked his fingers. "There…now, without any more interruptions, I'll be on my way…"

Riku wouldn't have it. He leapt up, keyblade brandished and prepared to strike down Jaxuk. To his shock, however, not only did Jaxuk leap away, but with a simple flick of his finger, Riku was sent hurling back far enough to fall into the sea.

"Now, now," He scolded, wagging his finger as though he were admonishing a puppy. "It's not quite time for the curtain call. After all, we've only barely passed intermission."

"Cut the crap," Neku growled. "You know you can't reach Kingdom Hearts. Meyxours himself said that we were obstacles."

"I don't believe so," Jaxuk replied, smirking. "Once the power of Kingdom Hearts is mine, you'll be nothing more than extras for me to dispose of. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He backed away into a black portal just as Sora would have leapt at him.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder roiling within them. Neku was at loss for words as the wind began to pick up, his knees buckling in sudden realization. The air grew heavy, and the music pleaded for aid. The storm grew thicker and thicker, until day turned to night.

"It can't be," Riku stuttered. "This is…"

"It is," Sora finished for him. "This is the same exact storm that came when the heartless destroyed our islands."

* * *

I BECHA DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DIDJA!


	42. Beyond The Door

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-One: Beyond the Door**

* * *

"Where they all comin' from, yo?" Beat wheezed as he wiped some blood off of his chin.

Joshua folded his arms, one hand lightly gripping his phone and staring out of the door as though he were a guard. "That seems to be it for this wave," he replied. "I don't think we'll see any more for a while, so let's rest while we can."

Shiki gave a sigh and collapsed onto one of the couches in Dead God's Pad. "There are so many…I haven't seen that big a crowd since we fought all those heartless when Xsoh was trying to take over the game."

"It won't end until Neku comes back, will it?" Rhyme asked.

He owed _her_ an answer, at the very least. "…no. Not until Neku returns."

Hanekoma emerged from the invisible door to the path leading to the Room of Reckoning. "The majority of the citizens are somewhere safe," he announced. "The Reapers are having a hard time trying to reach _everyone_ through all of the music, though. It's like Shibuya's gone haywire."

"I'm not surprised," Joshua muttered. "For Shibuya to act up like this, maybe it really has happened."

All heads snapped up. "What happened?" Shiki inquired.

"I'm not sure why," Joshua began, "But Shibuya seems to have chosen Neku as its catalyst."

"Cat-a-what?" Beat echoed, clueless as ever as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Shiki's eyes widened in concern. "What do you mean, 'catalyst'?" she asked, her hand-gestures mimicked by Mr. Mew who stood on the floor next to her.

Joshua glared at the roof as though it were the cause of all his problems. "What I'm saying is that the keyblade that Neku now wields ties him directly to Shibuya. The city's music has been fluctuating because of Neku's actions. His sorrow, joy, anger, rage and fear are all mirrored here. You could _almost_ say that Neku's the Composer right now. He just doesn't know about any of it. The connection is…difficult to explain, but it's there, and it's powerful."

"So if we protect this place," Rhyme began, "We're also…?"

"That's right," Joshua replied, nodding. "That's why I asked you all to stay here while Neku went with the others."

Shiki stood. "Then we'd better do whatever we can to keep Shibuya safe from the Nobodies."

"I still don't get it," Beat mumbled as he, too, stood to his feet, "But I do get one thing. Anyone who messes wit' Neku messes wit' me."

Rhyme nodded. "I'm going to do what I can, too. Even if it's not much, it's still for Neku's sake."

* * *

Neku couldn't stand seeing his friends stare at the sky in horror like that. Riku's eyes were narrow in contempt, Sora's were wide in terror and his jaw hung open in horrified awe. Kairi stood still, her face riddled with both concern and fear. Neku himself didn't know what to think; this storm not only _looked_ more harsh than the ones Jaxuk summoned, but he could _feel_ the world around him wailing in pain, sending out a desperate plea for help that came in the form of the heaviness in the air and the crying winds and the music that was on the verge of distortion. Somewhere in the song Neku barely picked up was a note of familiarity…one that he somehow knew wasn't a good one. He gripped the pin from Josh in his pocket. _What's going on? Why can't anyone tell me anything?!_

"The heartless _can't_ be here," Sora said in a near-whimper. "What's happening? Why are we going through this again?!"

"We can worry about that later," Riku replied. "First, we need to find out what to do!"

_**Neku Sakuraba.**_

The voice. Again. Neku tightened his grip on Music of Shibuya. "Where are you?!" He cried. "Let me help you!"

Kairi turned to him. "Neku? Who are you talking to?"

_**We cannot reach you where you are. Come closer.**_

"I know that," Neku grumbled. "But where…"

The cave. He had heard the voice so clearly in the cave.

In Sora's secret place.

Neku tore down the beach, his friends following him after a few cries of protest. When Neku knelt down to crawl through the roots, however, he felt Sora's gloved hand grasp his ankle. "Let go!" he screamed.

"Don't go in there!" Sora begged. "If you go in there, you'll-"

But the keyblade master's words went unheeded and Neku felt a surge of urgency and power within him. Almost losing control of his temper – or his mind, it didn't matter at that point – Neku gave a low growl and jerked his foot away. "I said _let go_!"

"What the…Neku, what's-"

After shoving his way under the roots and away from Sora's protests, Neku staggered to his feet and raced down the stone hallway to the secret place. As expected, the wooden door was still there. He halted, placing one hand on his knee and panting. Music of Shibuya remained in his hand. "I'm here," he muttered. "You're here, too, right?"

_**Come closer, Neku Sakuraba.**_

As though on instinct, Neku began to step forward toward the wooden, knob-less door at the back of the cave. The voice…was it really coming from past that thing?

_**Come closer.**_

It was. Neku began to step forward when the sound of footsteps caught his attention. He turned around dispassionately, his eyes blank and his face devoid of emotion.

Sora screeched to a halt. "Neku…?"

"It's coming from in here, Sora," Neku replied. "From your secret place."

The brunette shook his head. "I don't understand…"

He could try to explain, at least. "It wants us to help. I don't care what you do; I'm going to do what I can."

Riku and Kairi, whom had entered as the conversation began, gave Neku looks of concern. "What are you talking about?" Kairi asked.

Neku began to answer when a low whirring from behind him caught his attention. He spun around just in time to see the door fly open. There was barely time to make out what was beyond it when several tendrils of light lashed out, wrapping around his ankles and wrists and dragging him in faster than he could blink. Neku let out an ear-piercing cry of shock, and the door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

Sora could only stare in shock as Neku vanished right before their eyes. Riku was probably gawking wider; he was the only one responsible for opening the door previously. Kairi simply stared in astonishment.

"What…just happened?" Riku finally managed to say.

"I don't know," Sora replied. "Something…something reached out from behind the door and drew him in. What's past that door anyway?"

Kairi bit her lip. She knew; Sora could tell. In spite of this, something kept her from speaking. Riku gave her a sidelong glance. "Should we follow him?"

Sora puffed up his chest in hopes of looking brave. "I know I am. I don't care what's past that door; Neku needs our help."

"But it's dangerous," Kairi protested quietly. "There's too much for a person to handle in there, and you could be poisoned…"

Riku's face turned suspicious. "So you _do_ know what's in there."

_Now that he mentions it,_ Sora thought, _This was the last place I saw her on that day. Did she find out what was in there?_

Kairi nodded hesitantly. "It's hard to explain, but…if we went in there, then there's no telling what would happen to us, or if we even come out at all."

"And last time that door opened," Riku pointed out, "The island was…well, you remember."

Sora crossed his arms. "I'm not scared. You can stay out here if you want. I'm going after Neku."

Riku gave Sora a look that could have melted candle wax. "Don't be stupid. Listen to Kairi; you'll be killed."

"I'm not afraid of that," Sora shot back. "You know what they say in Shibuya? Trust your partner. Neku was _my_ partner in the UG, but even after that he was more than just a partner to me. I owe him more than just my life. I'm going in, and you're not stopping me."

"Oh, geez," Riku grumbled. "For some reason, I saw this coming."

Kairi smiled. "Well, if Neku means that much to you, then I'm coming, too."

With a defeated sigh, Riku shrugged. "I guess I'm along for the ride. You said so yourself; if you hadn't won that Reaper's Game, we'd be gone along with you."

Sora blinked. "I thought you said-"

"We were your entry fee, Sora," Riku reminded him. "We owe him just as much as you do, remember?"

With a quiet chuckle, Sora turned back to the door. "…thanks, guys. Now, let's go get Neku!"

* * *

The sensation of floating, flying, falling and drowning all mixed into one was the strangest thing Neku had ever experienced, and yet he wasn't concerned that he wasn't breathing. In fact, he felt rather peaceful here. His eyes refused to open, but he didn't mind. He could rest here forever.

_**That might be a wise decision, given how much you have endured to this point.**_

…yeah. It would probably be best if he went to sleep right about now. He never realized until now how exhausted he was. But what would happen to the worlds if Jaxuk succeeded in whatever he was planning? What would happen if he failed? He had to wake up.

_**Your body is weary from all you have endured, Neku Sakuraba, but your heart perseveres.**_

The voice was so clear now…like someone speaking right next to him. It was a powerful voice, but it comforted him…just like the warmth from earlier. Where was he? Why was he here? He tried to open his mouth to ask the question, but he was so exhausted.

_**Don't be afraid. Open your eyes.**_

With a dragging effort, Neku did so. He found himself in a strange void, white mist flowing over what appeared to be the ground. There were shades of pink appearing here and there, like clouds in the black. It was a strange place that he couldn't quite recognize, yet it felt so incredibly familiar.

Neku made a hesitant step forward, his footstep echoing softly. He took another step. And another. "Is anyone here?" He called.

_**We are pleased to see you safe.**_

"If by safe you mean in one piece, then yeah." Neku crossed his arms. "Just what exactly is going on? Where are the others?"

_**They are hesitant to follow, but they will be with you soon.**_

"Heh, a straight answer for once. Mind telling me who you are?"

_**We are Kingdom Hearts.**_

Neku froze. "Wh…how?"

_**From the moment Sora met you, we came in contact with your heart. Even when temporarily entrusted with the keyblade, you were able to wield it because your heart is strong enough to do so.**_

It was startling to learn whom he was speaking to, but Neku still felt at peace…like he was incapable of fear, even though he knew deep down he felt it. But the voice had told him not to be afraid, so he stood. "But who exactly are you?"

_**We are the worlds you traverse. We are the people you meet. With every heart that is born and for every heart that returns to us, our power and knowledge grows. Because of this, many seek to use our power for their gain, but even those with the purest of intentions must be kept away. That is why we must be protected, but even our protectors can only handle but the smallest of fragments of our power.**_

"Just a fragment?" Neku protested. "If you need to be protected so badly, isn't a fragment kind of…I don't know…less than necessary?"

_**A mortal such as yourself can only handle so much without breaking.**_

Neku crossed his arms. "First you ask for my help, now you're putting me down?" he demanded, somewhat angry. "If you ask me, you're just being stingy."

The answer to Neku's statement came in the form of the worst pressure he'd ever been under. It was as though the music he normally heard with the keyblade's power had been turned up beyond maximum volume, and it weighed him down. Every memory that had ever happened – not only to Neku, but to people he knew and didn't know alike – flowed through his mind, flashing for a brief moment. Every spell, technique, discovery, teaching, belief, moral, and fact that ever existed went through his mind in what felt like fragments but were actually the entire thing staying in place for only a split second before being shoved aside by a new incomer. More and more of the memories and knowledge and power came in until Neku felt like he was being crushed on all sides. His heart pounded desperately against his ribcage, begging for freedom and screaming in alarm. He felt so strong he began to ache, so full of knowledge he couldn't think, he had such wonderful memory he couldn't recall anything. The list went on. Just as Neku felt he was about to reach his limit, everything withdrew, and he found himself gasping for breath, almost certain that there was blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth.

_That couldn't have been more than just a tiny fragment,_ he reasoned as he attempted to push himself up, only to fail and sink lower. After a few seconds, he collapsed, his breathing labored. _It's impossible…_

_**Our power is far beyond mortal comprehension. Anyone whom even attempts to handle more than the smallest of pieces dooms himself to insanity, weakness and death all at once. That is why our power must be protected.**_

Neku rolled over onto his back, his chest heaving. "I get your point," he said in between breaths. "But why am I here?"

_**While this has not been the first time that a defiler has entered our realm, Jaxuk is still as much of a threat as Xemnas was, if not more.**_

"And you want _me_ to find him for you and get rid of him?" Neku replied. "Is that it?"

_**Yes.**_

_Figures. _"How can I trust you? For all I know, you could just be some other voice in my head claiming to be Kingdom Hearts. Ven spoke to me telepathically all the time."

_**We are familiar with Ventus. Twelve years ago, he bore a keyblade as well, with his companions Aqua and Terra.**_

"That's not enough proof for me," Neku retorted.

The void around him shifted into the Room of Reckoning. Beat and Shiki stood isolated at one end of the room, while Joshua and another familiar face stood in the center.

Neku started. "That's…"

The image of himself was slouched over in defeat. There were tears dripping off of his face. Then, with grim determination, he looked up and held a gun aimed directly for Joshua. Seconds passed by like hours…and his aim faltered. His anger lifted away to sadness and guilt-ridden defeat. Joshua, however, had that same look on his face. His finger tightened on the trigger of his own firearm…

"Stop," Neku muttered. "I don't want to see this."

The gunshot fired, and the other Neku fell to the ground, gazing at a smirking Joshua with a look of dumbfounded confusion. His eyes began to close for one last time when a familiar chuckle caused them to open again.

The image faded, leaving him in the void again. Neku clenched his fists. "You did that, didn't you?"

_**You need not be frightened. It was only an illusion, created from your memory.**_

"But how…?"

_**We are the source of all hearts, whether they are those of worlds like Shibuya…or people, such as yourself. This connection allows us to do such things.**_

Neku stared downward. "Fine, you win. I believe you. But what do you want me to do? I can't exactly make an appointment to go ask Jaxuk to get out of here. I don't even know where to go."

_**Jaxuk makes for our innermost sanctum, and no doubt seeks to defile it. The path there is riddled with hostile memories. Only those that endure these trials may enter. Of course, you will not be alone.**_

"I won't?" Neku said. "But I'm the only one here."

_**There is no time to lose. The path is longer than it seems, and Jaxuk started down it long before you did. You must hurry, Neku Sakuraba.**_

Neku nodded. "Alright. I'm going."

A door appeared in a subtle flash. Neku reached for the handle, but the door opened on its own, spilling forth an enormous amount of white light. It was impossible to see what was on the other side. With a deep breath and a silent prayer for luck, Neku entered.


	43. Trail of Memories

People…seriously. You guys are all too good for me. I've received so many lovely reviews of this fanfic. I promise from the bottom of my heart to make these last few chapters as good as I possibly can. I'm aware that this chapter is pretty short, but I wanted to go ahead and get this out for you guys. Besides, it was SUCH a nice place to stop. For now. n.n

In other news, I need to update some of my other works, as I've got many incomplete fanfics that need completing. I'm going to be starting another one soon, but I've three ideas that I can't decide on so I've got a poll up to ask you all. In spite of this, I've already begun work on _Spotted Problems_, but we won't be seeing the first chapter of that for a while.

Assuming I finish _Chasing the Truth_ before mid-June, we won't have to worry about my hiatus. I'm moving to Seattle for school on the 16th, and before then I need to do some serious packing and shopping and whatnot. Thank you all for being so supportive of _Chasing the Truth_!

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-Two: Trail of Memories**

* * *

Sora rubbed his head and sat up. The mist was thick, the void dark. The fact alone that he could see nearly counted as a miracle. "Where are we?" He muttered.

Riku pushed himself to his feet. "Good question. Let me know when you find an answer to it."

"At least we're still in one piece," Kairi pointed out. "And this place doesn't seem to bother me at all. How about you guys?"

"I'm fine," Riku replied. "What about you, Sora?"

"One sec." _You okay in there?_

There was no answer. Sora's eyes widened. "Roxas…?"

_**Sora, please. I need a bit of time to recover.**_

_Thank the Enix you're alright…don't scare me like that!_

_**Sorry…just a bit dazed.**_

"Something wrong?" Riku inquired.

Sora shook his head. "Roxas got a bit winded from our entry. I think he's okay, though."

Kairi bit her lip, glancing at Sora anxiously. "I think Naminé's a bit upset, too."

"Well," Riku began, "Wherever we are, whoever was waiting inside was pretty eager to see Neku. Anyone have any ideas why?"

"Not a one," Sora replied. "He said he heard something coming from in the cave. Maybe it was calling him?"

Kairi nodded. "It had to. He kept talking about 'it.' Whatever the 'it' was…"

Riku brushed his pants off. "We'd better get moving. Neku could be anywhere in here, and I'd rather not find out the hard way if he fell into a trap."

"I can help you with that."

All eyes turned to a stranger whom had appeared. Sora gawked. "What the…what're _you_ doing here?!"

* * *

The path that was supposed to exist wasn't even there. Neku was just walking blindly forward, hoping that eventually he'd come across some form of exit. Swarming in the air around and above him were sparks of colored light not unlike the ones that had flown out of Anima upon the Aeon's defeat, though something seemed different about these. The long, drawn-out sound they emitted – something akin to a mourning cry – caused Neku to shudder.

_This place is creepy,_ he observed. _If all hearts return to Kingdom Hearts, that must mean that this place is…oh, man, is this place really some sort of twisted afterlife?!_

The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle, and Neku froze where he stood. Several of the spheres of light swarmed in front of him, a few more around him. His knees began to feel weak as his mind was bogged down with a sudden, crushing negativity.

_A hostile memory?_ Neku guessed, remembering what the voice had told him. He forced himself to keep moving, but the lights only seemed to swarm more intensely. It was becoming hard to breathe, the cries of the memories gradually growing louder, scattered with fragmented voices.

"_Please, don't hurt him!"_

"_Brother, you musn't do this!"_

"_If you go there, you'll die!"_

"_Come back!"_

"_You killed him! You monster!"_

Neku's knees finally buckled and his hands clutched violently at his skull, feeling something drag him down again. He couldn't take this for much longer…

"_This can't be happening…not like this!"_

The proxy's eyes widened at the familiar voice. "Xenuk…?" He stood, looking about wildly. "Xenuk! Xenuk, are you here?!"

There was no answer. His hopes faded as quickly as they had come. Neku ignored the lights swarming around him and pressed on. "Where is he?" He asked no one in particular. "Mr. H said he _could_ be in the UG…but if he's not there, is he really dead…?"

Kingdom Hearts refused to answer him; Neku was on his own. The swarming lights failed to disperse, seeming to gather more and more with each step. Then, after what seemed to be an eternity, they finally left, but the sight that greeted Neku wasn't a welcome one.

Bodies everywhere. They were floating, seemingly peaceful, above each of them was a crystalline heart. It was disturbing somehow, and Neku swallowed in anxiety. _Of course. All hearts begin here, and all so end…this place is like some sort of afterlife, huh?_

Shaking a little, Neku pressed on. None of these people seemed too particularly familiar (aside from one that looked strikingly similar to Riku), and he didn't have time to linger. The more time he wasted, the less time he had to reach Jaxuk. He pressed forward, making sure to keep an eye out in case those lights began to swarm him again.

Then one of the bodies caught his eye.

Neku froze. A boy his age, cloaked in black, floating silently. Bright hair waving in a silent breeze, eyes closed peacefully. There was even that familiar smile. Upon seeing the boy, Neku nearly broke down.

It was Xenuk.

It took almost all of Neku's willpower not to rush over to him or even reach for him. His feet remained rooted to the spot, his eyes widening. _So he really is gone,_ he muttered. _Otherwise, he wouldn't be here…_

There was a brief spark from the heart floating above Xenuk, and Neku could have sworn he saw the replica's fingers twitch, as though pointing in a direction. Neku swallowed, glancing behind him, where he saw even more hearts…but these had no bodies to match. _But why? I thought a heart and a body were inseparable._ At that thought, however, he remembered something Sora had once told him. _Of course…heartless and nobodies are two sides of the same coin. Heartless are the darkness in people's hearts made real, and nobodies are the shells left behind. In other words, the heartless are the hearts and the nobodies are…that doesn't make much sense now that I think about it._

But what about fake hearts? Xenuk obviously made it here, in spite of being a replica. This wasn't a hostile memory, was it?

"_Everything about me is fake. When I die…where will I go?"_

Neku turned around to see the boy that looked like Riku, as though his eyes had automatically focused on him. _When did Riku get a replica? When had his died?_

A shiver ran down Neku's spine in sudden realization. _Died…why didn't that cross my mind before? This place…it's a graveyard!_

_**From our depths all hearts are born…even your own, Neku Sakuraba.**_

"And when we die for good, this is where we come back to?"

_**Correct.**_

Neku furrowed his eyebrows. It was like he was in the UG while still alive…something he hadn't planned on doing. "Xenuk," he began quietly, "Don't save me a spot just yet, okay? I don't plan on dying for a long time. I've gotta beat Jaxuk first."

The heart floating above Xenuk glowed with a warm light for a moment, as though responding to Neku's request. In the back of his mind, Neku could feel what he was saying. It was encouragement. Nodding, he bit his lip and turned, walking away.

* * *

Several minutes later saw Neku stumbling in the void. _It's official. I'm lost. _He sulked as he trudged through the ever-endless darkness. The lights flew about frantically, but they seemed to leave him alone this time. No more hostile memories to latch onto him…but it was only a small comfort. The more lost he became, the smaller the chance he had of finding Jaxuk and stopping him in time.

But what was he really doing? Up until recently, he was under the impression that the Zoners wanted him dead because he was of no use to them…or because he had killed one of their members in retaliation. He was seen as a threat. At least, that's what he believed at first. Meyxours then labeled Shibuya as an obstacle to his plan, but why had he aimed at Neku? Shibuya was obviously in advanced stages of decay – something that Joshua would hopefully have fixed by the time he came back – so why didn't he finish what he started there? But no…Jaxuk was the real mastermind. He had manipulated everyone behind their backs, and now he was after Kingdom Hearts. Same goal in the end, different ways of reaching it, and certainly different intentions.

How was he going to stop Jaxuk? He couldn't exactly waltz up to him and ask nicely…but fighting through everything wasn't wise either. Even so, he wasn't going to reach Jaxuk if he couldn't even find his way. He needed help. He had been told he wasn't going to be alone…but what did that mean?

"Well, fancy meeting you in a place like this."

There was a boy standing in front of him. Not floating. Standing. Blonde hair swept up in familiar spikes, vibrant blue eyes staring back at him. The clothing was unmistakable. The most important thing Neku noticed, however, was the lack of glow and transparency to him this time. This couldn't possibly be a hostile memory. This was _real_. "What...how are you...?"

Ven smirked. "Hey there, Neku. Need a tour guide?"

* * *

The idea for the Heart Graveyard comes from the game over screen.


	44. One Last Test

[21:43] FlikFreak: Playing for Keeps was just a plot bunny at first...but it kept going and going.  
[21:43] FlikFreak: It was like  
[21:43] FlikFreak: The lovechild of a plot bunny and an energizer bunny.  
[21:44] Nova: BWwahahhahahaaaa  
[21:44] Nova: Oh man... if nothing else made my day, THAT did just there  
[21:44] FlikFreak: XD!!!  
[21:44] FlikFreak: I am SO putting that in my author's notes  
[21:45] Nova: XDDD YESSHHH you should!!!

True story.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled fanfic.

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-Three: One Last Test  
**

* * *

"Dusk at three o'clock!" Shiki cried. Beat heard her just in time to spin around and smash it with his skateboard. He didn't move in time to avoid a lance that came his way, however, and was slammed in the back with the flat end of it. The attacking Dragoon, however, was quickly taken care of when Joshua sent a pickup truck falling on top of it.

Rhyme ran past, picking up the lance that the nobody had dropped and held it in both hands, bringing it up in front of her just in time to block the blow from a Berserker's hammer. "We can't keep this up!" She cried.

"I'll get a few reapers here for reinforcement, then," Joshua announced, dialing a bicycle to fall onto the offending Berserker's head. "Everyone hang on."

"But you's composer, yo," Beat grunted. "Can't you get rid of them all yourself?"

Joshua shook his head. "Right now, Shibuya isn't listening to me like it normally is. I can't do anything but help fight until Neku comes back."

Hanekoma jogged up to the group. "I just got word from Kariya and Uzuki," he announced. "The lesser reapers have everything under control in the rest of the city. They're on their way to help clean up in this area."

"Perfect," Joshua commented, smirking and hovering in the air. "Be sure Uzuki knows that she will be _very_ well rewarded for her efforts."

"Will-do," Hanekoma replied, hurrying off. "Keep an eye out for Creepers, Josh…I saw a good crowd of them headed your way on the way here."

_That won't be a problem,_ the composer noted to himself, aiming his phone at a nearby cluster of Dragoons.

* * *

"I don't understand," Neku stated. "Why are you here, Ven?"

"To save your hide as usual," Ventus deadpanned as they walked along the empty road, "But in all seriousness, this was my goal the whole time."

"Coming here was your goal?"

Ventus shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, coming to Kingdom Hearts was…I just wasn't supposed to show up like _this_. Being a guide for you wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'll take it."

"Why would you want to come here?" Neku asked, crossing his arms. "This place is creepy. There was that heart graveyard thing just earlier, and all those lights that nearly killed me, hostile memories… This place is downright creepy, Ven."

"What'd you expect?" Ven replied. "This is the afterlife. Not everything is going to be sugar and cupcakes, you know."

Neku hesitated. "Ven, why would you want to go to the afterlife?"

Ventus stiffened. "That's not important right now. I'm supposed to lead you to Jaxuk…they want me to."

"They?"

"Kingdom Hearts does."

At the response, Neku bit his lip. He _had_ been told he wouldn't be alone. _I guess they were referring to Ventus. Were they sending him to help me this whole time?_ "…thanks."

"It's no big deal," Ventus replied, waving off the subject.

"It doesn't seem like that to me," Neku replied. "Ever since I met you, you've been making me out to be some sort of special case. Is there something I'm missing here?"

Ventus remained silent.

Neku sighed. "Ven, I trust you, and that's saying something because I used to hate people in general. Just tell me why you've been helping me so much. Why not Sora? I'm sure he could do this on his own. He's done it before, hasn't he?"

"He's never been connected with a world before."

It was almost too quiet for Neku to hear. "What…?"

The former ghost spun on him. "Don't you get it, Neku? Right now, you _are_ Shibuya. You're holding Shibuya in your hand whenever you summon that keyblade. Everything that happens to you, Shibuya reflects! If you die, Shibuya is destroyed. Likewise, if Shibuya is destroyed, so are you! _That's_ why everyone is so bent on protecting you; it's more than just a friend they're protecting!"

Neku staggered at the sudden outburst. How was it possible? It was like he had made a pact in the reaper's game but with Shibuya instead of just a single person like Joshua or Shiki. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it because he couldn't come up with anything to say, opened it again, and finally said something. "…but Shibuya's already in decay. Did I really cause that?"

"When you revived Axel," Ven replied, "Shibuya knew you wouldn't survive, so it channeled some of its energy into you to keep you alive. Around the time that happened, things gradually started to go haywire there. Meyxours attacked you because he'd be getting rid of Shibuya."

"What does Shibuya have to do with his plan?" Neku demanded.

Ven shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with-"

"Neku! There you are!"

The answer Neku wanted was cut short when they noticed Sora, Riku, and Kairi jogging up to them. All three looked completely worn out, shoving past the floating lights that threatened to weigh them down. Neku didn't have the energy (or motivation) to smile or even wave back. "You guys…"

"What happened back there?" Kairi asked. "We were worried sick!"

Riku gave a suspicious gaze. "And what's Kite doing here?"

"Playing tour guide," Ven answered in near-monotone. "What're _you_ doing here?"

"_We_'re looking for Neku," Sora replied, crossing his arms. "And fortunately for us, we got our own guide through here. Otherwise, I think we would have been lost our way before we even got to that graveyard."

Neku was about to ask who had led them when another familiar face approached: this time it was Ven's best friend. "I'm glad I could make it in time."

Ventus rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Hey, Aqua. Did you happen to see…?"

Aqua shook her head. "No…he must be dee-"

A flash of tan interrupted Aqua and made straight for Neku. Gasping in surprise, Neku managed to summon Music of Shibuya just in time to block a familiar swallow blade. His attacker leapt back, stance low and tail waving. Neku had to blink a few times to catch the newcomer's identity. "…Zidane?"

Zidane gave an uncharacteristic smirk. "Do you really think I'm Zidane?"

Ventus started forward. "You're-"

"It's been a while, Ven," Zidane replied, holding one hand out. "Now stop interfering."

A wall formed between Zidane and the rest of the group, blocking Neku off from fleeing. His eyes widened. "What's gotten into you, Zidane? You haven't been yourself since-"

"You still think I'm Zidane?" the man replied, laughing. "How can you call yourself a keyblade master?"

Only then did Neku see it: the strange, golden hint of a glow that was in Zidane's eyes. It wasn't that unnerving yellow that the heartless had…it was gold. The quality of that glow was the same one that Sora had when he was possessed by Ven.

Zidane ran forward again, his blade clashing against Music of Shibuya. "Why did Shibuya pick you?!" he demanded. "You're weak, you're slow, and most of all you're selfish!"

Another clash, but this time Neku countered. "Who're you calling weak?!" he shot back, angered. He made to strike Zidane across the shoulder, but the tailed man dodged and sliced his back. Neku cried out in agony, falling to one of his knees. The pain was amazingly potent, like someone had burned him rather than cut him.

Feeling Zidane approach again, he winced to best ignore the pain stinging in his back and rolled over, bringing the keyblade up to block the attack, but this time Zidane didn't back off. He pressed harder, his blade nearing Neku as the former proxy's strength began to wane. "You can't possibly be a real keyblade master," Zidane hissed in disgust. "Look at you…lying on the ground like a dog waiting to be put out of its misery. No key bearer in their right mind would let themselves be pushed into this position."

Panic took over Neku's mind. Zidane was right. Getting himself pushed into a spot like this was suicide. He had to get his opponent off before he was in pieces. In one swift motion, Neku coiled his legs back and kicked Zidane in the stomach with all of his strength, sending him flying backward. The motion of the kick allowed Neku to stand back upright, and he raced forward, halting just in time to bring his keyblade up into a pointing position…aimed directly at Zidane's chest.

Zidane made no move to counter. He lowered his swallow blade, staring at the end of Music of Shibuya. He smiled. "Heh, not bad for your first time against me."

Neku sneered. "I'll hit you for real if you don't tell me who you are."

"I'll be back," Zidane assured him. "I've got to take Zidane back out of here. The only reason he can withstand the sheer power of this place is because of me."

The walls dissolved, and Sora raced forward. "Hold it! Who are y-"

But he was too late. A swirl of gold light appeared, surrounding Zidane, and then it vanished, taking him with it.


	45. End Of The Road

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-Four: End Of The Road**

* * *

_I don't get it. What's gotten into Zidane? And if that wasn't Zidane, then who was it?_

Sora snapped from his thoughts when Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sora…"

"Ven," Aqua began, "Was that who I think it was?"

The Roxas look-alike nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"Someone care to fill me in?" Riku interrupted. "In case you haven't noticed, we only just now jumped into this weird place, walked past a swarm of pyreflies, trekked through a graveyard, and had to watch someone who we thought was our friend nearly kill Neku."

Ventus glanced up, his eyes full of worry. "Sora, would you happen to remember facing off against an armored keyblade master?"

Sora froze. He remembered that quite well. It was one day while visiting Disney Castle that it happened; the Cornerstone of Light was acting up, and through a portal that he had found he wound up in a wasteland. _And some guy in armor was there, too. He kept talking about the 'one he had chosen' and stuff…I couldn't make out what he meant._ "Yeah. It was a while ago, but I remember. What about it?"

"Zidane was being controlled by the same person."

_Wha…that was _him_?!_

"Who was he?" Neku asked. "He kept going on about how I wasn't worthy or something…"

"He was another of our friends," Aqua replied. "It seems like he's been controlling Zidane for a long time now. But why him?"

"Zidane knew Kuja," Ventus replied. "I'm pretty sure Zidane would want to settle the score anyway. I'm sure Terra was after something else."

"Terra?" Kairi echoed. "Is that his name?"

Ventus shrugged. "Yeah. He always was kind of choosy. Did he say anything to you, Neku?"

Neku counted on his fingers. "He called me weak, accused me of being selfish, demanded to know why I'm a keyblade master, whatever that means, and generally mocked me."

Aqua quirked an eyebrow and suppressed a chuckle. "Yep, that was him alright."

"How do you know him?" Sora asked.

Ventus and Aqua exchanged glances, silent for a moment before finally speaking. "We aren't entirely sure," Aqua replied. "When we woke up, we just knew that we knew him. We have one memory in common, so we were pretty sure of it."

"It's all coming back to your memory," Riku observed. "You sure you're not just faking amnesia?"

"Think Naminé could fix it?" Sora suggested. After all, from what he had been told, Naminé had a very interesting power tied with memories.

Kairi hesitated, then shook her head. "No…she can only work with yours, Sora."

_Aww…_

Ventus smiled. "That's alright. I'm sure once this is over, we'll get them back."

Neku gave them an awkward look. "Well, what now?"

"We should keep going," Aqua suggested. "Jaxuk is still here."

Sora nodded. "Right."

* * *

They hadn't expected this.

Berserkers used hammers, and Dragoons used lances. The dusks tended to just walk around in the strange, warped fashion that they did, and creepers were cakewalk. These nobodies, however, could not only teleport, but they also used projectiles.

Joshua had been shot out of the air, but thankfully he wasn't heavily wounded. Beat managed to block many hits with his skateboard, but his energy was wearing thin. Shiki wasn't so fortunate; Mr. Mew had been damaged and her offensive with him. She had hurried to a safe, discrete place to patch him up while everyone else fought. Rhyme, while she didn't make much of a dent on her own, was surviving somehow, and beginning to wonder where the reinforcements were.

They weren't going to last much longer at this rate.

Three bicycles fell on top of a group of the snipers, as Joshua had nicknamed them, followed by a vending machine. "How is it over there, Shiki?" he called.

"Almost done!" The girl replied. "I just need to make sure it's secure and I'll be right back out!"

Nodding, Joshua leapt up momentarily to send a large, white beam crashing down on another bit of the crowd, landing again just moments before he would have been shot again.

Rhyme had, unfortunately, been separated from Beat. The older sibling angrily attempted to smash his way through the opposition to reach her, but it wasn't easy while dodging projectiles. He swatted away a few with his skateboard and ducked under more, but true to his dedication he didn't even stop long enough to yell in pain when one connected with his leg.

Determined to reach her brother, Rhyme began forward along the wall, only to meet a sudden burning sensation right above her armpit. Screaming, her knees buckled and she glanced in horror at the white-hot crossbow bolt that had hit her in the left shoulder. She clutched the pendant around her neck tore the sniper's crossbow bolt from its place, gritting her teeth and gasping for breath. _Neku! Hurry!_

But the onslaught wouldn't stop. Rhyme was surrounded by Snipers. She cried out in fear as they aimed their guns, reaching for one of her defensive pins as her only hope.

_NEKU!_

* * *

Neku stopped in his tracks, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. It felt like someone had plunged their hand into his chest and seized his heart, squeezing it and crushing it in their grip. The sensation lasted all of two seconds before it released, but not before he had a flash of a scene in his mind: Rhyme, surrounded by nobodies that he didn't recognize, and the rest of his friends gasping for breath even as more swarmed in.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Neku…you okay?"

The proxy glanced up to see Aqua giving him a look of concern. "…yeah. I'm…I think it was from the connection."

Ventus bit his lip and nodded. "We should hurry…the sooner we get rid of Jaxuk, the sooner everyone's going to be safe."

"Am I missing something here?" Sora asked. "What connection?"

"My connection with Shibuya," Neku replied, finally regaining composure. "It's from the keyblade I have…it connects me to my world."

"How's _that_ supposed to work?" Riku questioned.

"It's like I made a pact in the Reaper's game," Neku replied, "But instead of with a person, it's with an entire world. Meaning if I die here…"

"Then Shibuya is destroyed," Sora finished, his eyes wide but his voice almost a whisper. "Neku, why didn't you say anything?"

Neku shook his head. "I didn't know until a few minutes ago when Ventus told me."

"So when Meyxours aimed that attack at you," Kairi said, "He was really trying to destroy Shibuya?"

"Very intelligent, Princess. I expected no less from you."

The voice was sickeningly familiar. Every head turned to see an all-too-familiar figure in black hovering five feet over the ground, smirking down at them. "I was worried that your _hearts_ had been poisoned by the sheer power of this place. After all, only the strongest of the strongest can leave this place without some form of permanent injury…"

"Jaxuk!" Ventus bellowed, summoning what could only be a keyblade in a flash of white light. "We have a score to settle!"

"Oh?" Jaxuk replied. "Well, if it isn't the little chaser himself. And he's brought his girlfriend, too…this should be quite an interesting performance."

"Ven," Neku hissed. "How do you have-"

"I'll explain later."

Neku had no argument to that.

"You have such reckless courage, running into danger as you did before," Jaxuk taunted. "Need I remind you, boy, what happened last time you did so?"

Ventus hesitated. "Last…time?"

The floating lights around them began to swarm, forming two blurry shapes. One was a man, the other a young, armored boy. The man held the boy by his helmet, his grip so tight that the sound of metal cracking could be heard. The boy struggled in vain, his arms flailing and his feet kicking. Finally, part of the visor of the helmet broke away, revealing one bright blue eye, pleading desperately for help. The man shook the boy, setting him aflame in dark fire, and then freezing him alive. Almost casually, he grinned, and dropped the boy.

The image flickered away, and the lights dispersed before the boy's fate could be determined. Ventus was shaking his head. "No…that couldn't have been…"

Jaxuk grinned. "One would think you had learned from that mistake, and yet here you are, rushing into a scene without rehearsing again. It's no wonder you have that connection to Sora…"

Both Ventus and Sora did a double-take. "Wha-?" Sora gasped. "Ven and I are connected?"

"Meyxours was the only one who knew about it," Jaxuk replied, feigning sadness. "Oh, but you simply _had_ to kill him, didn't you? Now you'll never know, between his lost knowledge and Ventus's lack of memories…such a convenient excuse, by the way, to not explain anything."

"I don't lack memories," Ventus hissed. "I just can't reach them. Every time I try to recall something, it slips away and I can't remember. It's like having déjà vu and never knowing where you've seen it before. Ever." He brandished his keyblade. "But I'll get them back if I defeat you!"

"Ven," Aqua began, "Please…"

Neku swallowed hard. He had been after Jaxuk because he posed a threat to the worlds. That much power in anyone's hands – good or bad – could pose some serious corruption. Plus, Jaxuk had killed Xenuk, and manipulated Axel's self-sacrifice. But Ventus… He said he wanted to rest, but he wanted his memories, too. How did Jaxuk tie into that?

"You are fools," Jaxuk scorned them. "I have already attained immense power from Kingdom Hearts. You cannot stop me. You are mere extras in this performance, and you have no more lines here on out. In other words…you are of no more use to me." He summoned a curved blade in his hand. "It's about time I disposed of you."

"Not if I can help it!" Sora cried, hurling a barrage of fireballs toward Jaxuk. With a flick of his blade, however, Jaxuk parried them and sent them slamming right back into Sora, whom cried out and stumbled back a few feet.

Jaxuk laughed. "Fool…you're like a child with a toy compared to the other key bearers."

"Don't compare him to me," Ventus growled. "Now give us back our-"

A flash of white interrupted Ventus's protest, knocking him back at least five feet. The glare from Jaxuk was almost lethal. "An actor never strays from the script," he hissed. "I am the director of this performance; you are only the cast and crew. You will do as I see fit, nothing more."

Riku brandished his keyblade. "True, a director calls the shots in a performance. All directors do that…but a _good_ director will listen to the cast and crew's thoughts and opinions rather than manipulating them like pawns on a chess board."

"Sounds to me like you're a pretty bad director," Neku added. "Didn't you get the memo? You've been fired."

Jaxuk's new expression made his previous face look like a simple frown. "You would dare challenge me?" he demanded. "You worms have no concept of my power. Kingdom Hearts now belongs to me; its power is mine! Yet you ignorant children dare to face me and meet your deaths? Then _so be it_!"


	46. The Clutches of Despair

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-Five: The Clutches of Despair**

* * *

Even when he wasn't hovering, Joshua could feel the earthquakes rising in intensity. He was fortunate that the snipers had been wiped out for this round, so hovering was an option again. He didn't quite feel like dropping any more vehicles or vending machines; using his true power was a lot more comfortable. That said, the unstable music was beginning to get to him. It was frantic, angry, afraid, and confused all at once. The Composer began to wonder what Neku was going through at the moment.

Uzuki shot three more snipers and swore. "Are these things ever going to stop?"

"We're on the defensive, aren't we?" Kariya pointed out, leaping out of the way of a Berserker's hammer. "I haven't seen them stop since we came here."

"We _are_ on the defensive," Joshua replied. "We have to hold them off until either they disappear or Shibuya does."

"That's nuts," Uzuki grumbled. "At least we've already wiped out most of this wave…"

Beat wiped some blood off of his chin, and Rhyme still shivered in her hiding place. Glancing away from them, Shiki placed Mr. Mew on the ground again, having finished her repairs. "We've had way too many close calls," She stated, her stuffed animal mimicking her gestures. "If anything else goes wrong, we're done for."

"We're far from done for," Joshua replied. "At least, Shibuya is."

"What do you mean?" Rhyme asked. "We're nearly…"

"Don't say that, yo!" Beat cried. "We gonna make it, sis, I promise!"

Joshua nodded. "Beat's right. Besides, if we were done for, I assure you, we'd be in a much stickier situation, and Shibuya would look a lot worse."

"How do you know that?" Shiki demanded, her eyes full of suspicion

"You don't want to know," the Composer replied, demolishing a trio of berserkers that had been headed his way. "Rest up, everyone. This wave is over, but the next one is going to be here shortly."

"I'm ready for more anytime," Uzuki insisted. "Those things are cakewalk."

Joshua gave everyone a warning glare. "Remember, it's not just Shibuya we're defending. Your friend's life is on the line as well."

They needed no other motivation. The entire group, reapers included, sat quietly and gathered their energy. There was no telling how much time was left before the next onslaught of Nobodies would arrive.

* * *

Riku's attempt at hitting Jaxuk with Dark Firaga missed by inches, and one of his own projectiles skimmed just past his cheek. Sora took his chance to attempt landing a blow, but Ventus beat him to it, only to be thrown to the side. Aqua sent a curative spell his way, and Kairi was in the fray as well.

"A princess like you shouldn't fight," Jaxuk admonished her, dodging her blow. "It's rather unbecoming of you…" He swooped down, catching Kairi in her tracks and holding her face with his hand. He licked his lips. "…and it would be such a _shame_ to see that pretty face of yours stained with blood."

Kairi scowled, pulling away and managing to slash across his arm before leaping away. "If it's yours that I'm spilling, then it's fine by me," she growled.

Neku blinked. "Wow. Remind me not to get on _her_ bad side." Sora, whom was nearby, nodded in agreement.

Not amused, Jaxuk shoved the girl away and proceeded to shove her down via a blast of white light. "Insolent mortals," he hissed. "I'm sure you only barely realize I'm only toying with you?"

"Oh yeah?" Neku replied. "So are we."

It was a bluff, but Neku hoped it would work. After all, there was no bigger weakness than being caught off guard. He had to resist the urge to reach for the pin that Joshua had given him; whatever it was supposed to do, surely it would work here…

"You misunderstand me," Jaxuk replied. "I've been holding back from the beginning. After all, I _did_ have enough power to destroy my home world. What power do _you _claim to have?"

Neku grit his teeth. "Light," he replied without thinking.

Jaxuk laughed. "You are such a _child_," he taunted. "What is _light_ going to do for you?"

Sora brandished his keyblade, racing forward. "Why should we tell you? You don't even know what light _is_!" He slashed across Jaxuk's abdomen, making a mark and causing black blood to spill past the black cloak. The Nobody retaliated with a burst of energy, and though Sora parried it he still stumbled.

"Light is weak," Jaxuk spat. "Memories, promises, friendship, _love_…none of these things can give anyone strength. Only when one has nothing to lose can they experience true power!"

"Power that no one should have," Ventus replied. "Besides, what good is reviving the Organization going to do you?"

Somehow, this offended Jaxuk. "Why would I want to do such a thing? Those fools were hardly competent enough to accomplish their goals. No…what I want is something _more_. The power of Kingdom Hearts itself…greater than Trance, greater than the keyblade…when I realized just how powerful it was, I knew what had to be done. Meyxours was a fool with a petty cause, thinking he could _use _that power…"

Neku gripped Music of Shibuya, barely registering the fear and anger in the music surging around him. "So what do _you_ intend to use it for?"

"Use it?" Jaxuk echoed, laughing. "Don't you realize it yet? The Zoners were different from the Organization…we believed that we were fine the way we are. Emotions are only nuisances that cause us to make poor decisions. Fear, greed, envy, rage…they all force us to be _irrational_. We're better off without petty things like emotions and hearts. That is why…"

As it sunk in, Neku felt himself become overwhelmed by fear. _He can't possibly be planning to…_

"…if I destroy the source of all hearts, then I destroy the source of all emotions! By turning the power of Kingdom Hearts against itself, my goal shall be fulfilled!"

_No!_

"You can't be serious!" Sora cried. "If you destroy Kingdom Hearts, you destroy _everything_!"

Jaxuk spun on them. "_Precisely_. I would have succeeded long ago…but that power has its protectors. The keyblade connects its wielder directly to Kingdom Hearts, leads them to defend that power when it is in danger. You are obstacles in my path, and as long as you exist, so shall Kingdom Hearts. Killing you is only the first part of this act."

"You're not going to get away with this!" Ventus bellowed, racing forward, keyblade brandished.

Suddenly, Ventus halted in his tracks, his keyblade falling to the ground. He clutched his head, sinking to his knees and grunting. Jaxuk smirked. "Still so reckless. Perhaps I took _too_ much of your memory…"

"_You_ took it?" Riku echoed. "How…why…"

"Without memories," Jaxuk explained with a grin, "The heart shatters, and one is essentially a nobody. I was just beginning work on that boy and his so-called friends when I was…interrupted." He scowled. "I was ultimately close to ridding them of their hearts before then, but now the only way to finish the job is to _kill _them."

"I won't let you!" Aqua cried, stepping forth and summoning her own keyblade. She was just beginning to charge up a spell when Jaxuk grabbed her by the throat via an invisible force, lifting her into the air. Then, smirking, he threw her next to Ventus. She fell, gasping for breath.

_If he destroys Kingdom Hearts,_ Neku thought, _He'll destroy everything!_ He clutched the pin in his hand, making countless prayers. _Come on! Work! I know you can!_

But nothing happened. No pulse. Neku was trying hard to hold onto his faith; this pin was his only chance, he knew it, but it wasn't working.

"You betray your own leader…you destroy your own world…" Sora swiped the keyblade through the air. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I was supposedly an Angel of Death," Jaxuk replied, "Created to sow chaos and reap the lives of those that became lost and entangled within it. You could say that when I was whole, I had a heart of stone." With that, he flung a sphere of energy at Sora to knock him back, causing a familiar red object to fall out of his pocket.

While Kairi rushed to Sora's side, Neku hurried over to the forgotten possession. He picked it up, examining it. _A feather?_ He thought. It was a beautiful feather, roughly four inches long and a beautiful red color. Somehow, Neku wasn't sure how, the feather was warm to the touch. _I remember this…Anima gave it to Rhyme, and then Rhyme gave it to Sora…just what is it?_

As the thought passed through his mind, he remembered the moment when Rhyme had passed it on to Sora. _"I feel like it wants to help you."_

_Rhyme…she's already died once. I can't let that happen again._

A burst of determination came to Neku. He knew there was only one chance. He clutched the feather in his hand, looking up at his enemy with a narrowed gaze. "_Your_ heart may have been made of stone, Jaxuk," He snarled, "But _mine's_ made of something even stronger."

Jaxuk's anger melted for a moment, and he gave a smirk. "Is that so?" he taunted. "Why don't we test that theory of yours?"

"I don't _need_ to test it," Neku hissed, his grip around Music of Shibuya so tight his fingers threatened to bleed. "I _know_ it's true."

"The allow me to prove it for myself," Jaxuk replied, firing a white-hot beam from his hand.

There was no time to dodge. The tainted light enveloped Neku, eliciting a screech of undying pain from his throat – one so loud that it was as though someone was ripping his voice from him. His skin felt like it was on fire, his heart throbbed and his lungs felt like sandpaper. His confidence from before evaporated, leaving only fear and hopelessness. He knew he had made the worst mistake he possibly could have made.

Neku could barely see Sora spinning around to gaze at him in horror. He shouted something, but Neku couldn't hear him. The white grew stronger and then he couldn't see them.

As Jaxuk released his attack, Neku crumpled to the ground like a puppet cut from its strings. His breathing halted, his eyes slid shut, and his skin grew cold.


	47. From Flames of Hope

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Chapter Forty-Six: From Flames of Hope**

* * *

The earthquakes wouldn't stop. Several buildings were beginning to collapse. The pavement began to crack and shatter. Rhyme screamed and only dodged a falling chunk of wall thanks to her brother's quick thinking. Shiki dove out of the way of a falling sign, but Joshua stood still.

"You call this 'far from the worst'?!" Uzuki demanded, shooting rapid-fire at the dusks. "Shibuya's falling apart!"

Joshua nodded, providing no vocal answer. Shibuya _was_ falling apart, he knew that. He could feel it. Even so, he wasn't about to give up. "Keep fighting!" He cried, sending a pickup truck falling on top of a few creepers.

Even as he spoke, however, the ground cracked open into large crevices, and a dark light shone through. Below was a bottomless abyss. Rhyme lost her footing and began to fall. Fortunately, Beat grabbed her by the arm just in time. He pulled her to safety, and they returned their attention to the nobodies, only to see that they were now swarming more than ever.

Nearby, they could see the 104 tower beginning to collapse.

* * *

"Neku! Neku, come on, wake up!"

Sora shook the boy's shoulders again and again, begging his friend to open his eyes. There was no response. Neku remained still.

Jaxuk laughed. "I must commend that boy for his bravery," he said, "But he was far too reckless. Such emotions ultimately drive us to our deaths, like his did just now."

"He's not dead," Sora growled.

"Oh? I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught that…"

"He's not dead!" Sora bellowed, leaping to his feet and summoning Remembered Dream to his hand. "He can't die! We've come too far!"

But Jaxuk only laughed again. "Denial, another _destructive_ human emotion. The evidence lies before you, keyblade master. Neku Sakuraba is dead."

_No…he can't be…_

_**Sora, don't let him mess with your head! We can still do this! Neku's fine!**_

Ventus clenched his fists. "We aren't going to fall for your tricks! We know he's still alive!"

"Really?" Jaxuk taunted. "And how would he be, if he isn't breathing? If his heart isn't beating?"

"Because," Ventus replied, smiling, "There's more than one way to be alive."

Aqua smiled, nodding toward Ventus. Sora stood silent for a moment before he felt his own smile appearing. _I think I understand what he means…_

_**You do?**_

_Yeah…Neku's alive. I'm sure of it._

Jaxuk sneered, a dark aura flaring around him. "Had I a heart, I would be disgusted. You hold on to petty beliefs and meaningless emotions. Your thoughts are clouded by your petty sentimentality, blocking you from seeing the truth right before your very eyes. For that, I shall be your liberator. My finale begins with your deaths."

The aura flared, and Jaxuk's appearance began to warp. Enormous, demonic wings sprung from his back, claws grew from his hands, his teeth becoming razor-sharp. Black flames erupted from around him, blurring the rest of his transformation until it was complete. A bloodthirsty roar erupted from his throat, rattling the world around them, and he crashed to the ground in the form of an enormous dragon, small flickers of flame still escaping his maw.

"This can't be happening," Riku gasped. "How can he…"

"He's siphoning power from Kingdom Hearts," Ventus replied. "He's going to use it to kill us first. We're just small fry to him."

"How do we even stand a chance against this thing?!" Kairi cried.

Aqua backed away, her steps shaky and unsure. "I…I don't think we do…"

* * *

Neku wasn't breathing. He couldn't hear. He couldn't see. He couldn't feel. There was nothing everywhere. He was floating calmly, peacefully, and yet he felt a strange sensation of unrest in his heart. Was he really dead? How? Or perhaps he was only unconscious…?

Wait. If he was dead, then that would mean Shibuya…

_**You aren't ready to die yet.**_

The voice echoed around him. Neku's eyes flickered open, but he saw nothing. The voice…it wasn't Kingdom Hearts. It was…it was so familiar. _Who's there…?_

_**You haven't given up. You've gone so far. Why stop now?**_

Jaxuk had killed him? Was that it? Neku sighed inwardly. _I…don't know. What's happening to me?_

_**You're hanging onto life, Neku. Something is keeping you between life and death.**_

That wasn't much. _What is it…?_

_**There's still a reason for you to live. You should know what it is; the reason is yours alone.**_

_If I die, so does Shibuya…I don't want my world to die. And…Jaxuk. He's trying to destroy everything. I can't let him do that…not my home…not my friends. I have to stop him before anyone else…_

_**Do you want to protect them?**_

Neku would have laughed at the question; the answer was so simple. _More than anything._

The pin in his pocket, along with the feather in his hand, began to pulse. Something grabbed his heart and jerked it. A familiar warmth wrapped around him and lifted him upward. His vision flickered, and suddenly he saw a burst of brilliant red flames. Two great, fiery wings spread from either side of his back, and he took a gasp of air.

* * *

Sora hit the ground with a sickening thud. He was sure he had broken a bone or two at this point, but he had to keep fighting. He summoned enough of his energy for a cure spell and stood, ignoring the numbing pain.

_**We can't keep this up, Sora. Jaxuk is winning; we have to do something!**_

_Like what? I might as well be fighting Kingdom Hearts itself!_

Jaxuk hissed, sending a stream of black flame toward them. Aqua threw up a reflect spell around Sora in time to deflect it, but in the process was hit by a few stray flames. Ventus struck one of the dragon's forelegs, but met a whip-like tail in retaliation and was sent flying at least fifteen feet.

"We've fought a bigger dragon than that," Riku grumbled, "Haven't we, Sora?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, we have…"

"So why is this one stronger if it's only half the size?"

"I don't know!"

The said dragon laughed. "You claim to fight to protect, but you really fight to gain. Your greed is the same as all others with hearts…it is an obstacle. It makes you feeble. It forces you to choose the wrong paths." Black flames gathered in his maw. "Taste your greed, your envy, your faults…and realize what a folly it is to have a heart!"

A piercing, hawk-like cry erupted from behind them. The lights of the memory trail all began to gather, soaring together and forming one massive shape. Flames burst from their center, and two great wings spread from each side. Another cry sounded, and the flames took the shape of an enormous, beautiful red bird, its wings and long tail feathers adorned with a familiar graffiti-like pattern. Sora's thoughts were buried under a mountain of awe as he gazed upon the creature.

"What is that?" Riku asked no one in particular.

"A Phoenix," Aqua replied, breathless. "I never thought I'd get to see one."

Kairi stepped forward. "It's beautiful," she commented.

Sora looked closer. He felt a wave of familiarity in his mind as he gazed upon the creature's eyes. He had seen them before. A smile climbed up his face. "Guys, it's Neku!"

Jaxuk roared. "Impossible! The boy is dead; I killed him myself!"

"But how?" Ventus added, almost agreeing with Jaxuk. "How is he alive?"

_**Sora, doesn't that bird look a lot like a noise?**_

The key bearer hesitated. _…yeah, it does. Do you think that's Neku's…?_

A voice rang out in their ears, only it wasn't just one voice, it was many. One, however was the most prominent to them, and they recognized it well as Neku's voice.

"_Life_ is full of surprises, isn't it Jaxuk? You really thought I was dead?"

"Wha-?!"

"Next time you try to kill someone, you should probably pay more attention to what's in their heart."

Jaxuk would have none of it. He hurled a stream of black flame at the phoenix, but it diminished before it even came close. "Why?!" He demanded. "The only things people can have in their hearts are sinful things! Anger, despair, sorrow, regret, greed…hearts aren't worth having!"

"I held onto life by a thread. One single thread. I still had a reason to live, and I wasn't about to let anyone or any_thing_ stop me. I might not have said it out loud, but I promised everyone that I would make things right. I won't let you destroy my world, Jaxuk. I won't let you destroy _anything_. The only thing that's going down is _you_."

The Phoenix soared forth. For a split second as it neared, Sora could almost make out Neku's form in the center of the flames, his arms spread out and his face full of determination. As the bird passed overhead, the embers left behind fell on them, but they didn't burn. Instead, they seemed to comfort and protect. Sora stared in awe at the flame trails left behind by the great beast.

"No!" Jaxuk protested, perparing to shoot a burst of black flame at the Phoenix. "I will not let you stop me!"

"I've had enough of your power-hungry schemes," Neku's voice replied as the Phoenix let out another cry. "You've hurt me, you've hurt my home, and most importantly you've hurt my friends. Time for you to face up for what you've done."

An inferno engulfed the dragon, forcing an agonized cry from its maw. The Phoenix flew above it, watching carefully, not moving even as one of the reptilian beast's hands reached up and lashed, attempting to strike down its foe, only to lash out at the air instead. When the flames dimmed, the only thing left of the dragon was the countless scattering lights.

* * *

The earthquakes ceased. The cracks in the ground began to seal, and somehow the buildings were beginning to restore themselves. The chaos that had been inflicted on Shibuya began to repair, like they were watching a movie all around them being played in reverse.

"Not every day you get to see this," Kariya commented, popping a stick of bean paste in his mouth.

"What's goin' on, yo?" Beat asked. "Someone hit the rewind button?"

Joshua smirked. "Seems that way."

"Look! Up there!"

All eyes turned to where Rhyme was pointing. Overhead, the dark clouds began to disperse, and in the sky was a great, flaming bird. A hawk-like cry came from above, and a shower of embers fell gracefully downward.

"What is that?" Shiki asked.

Rhyme shook her head. "I don't know, but I can feel a lot of mist coming off of it."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. It's actually kind of…nice."

"It's Phoenix," Joshua stated. "The fiery bird of rebirth. Everything's safe now."

Rhyme's smile grew and she immediately latched onto her brother, crying the happiest tears she had ever cried. Beat attempted to hold back his own sobs, but it didn't last long. Shiki also broke down in tears, with Mr. Mew next to her cheering happily. Joshua, however, only smiled.

_I knew you could do it._

* * *

Whatever had happened, it was amazing. Neku felt raw power fueling him, keeping him alive. One moment he thought he was dead, the next he was rushing in with renewed vigor to defeat Jaxuk. He was flying through the air, arms spread out by his sides like wings. The warmth that had cradled him with comfort before now empowered him with limitless strength, but unlike the warning Kingdom Hearts had given him, this strength didn't seem to hurt. Before his eyes, the most stunning inferno that he had ever seen burst forward – _his_ inferno, he somehow knew – and consumed Jaxuk in its flames. When finally the flames flickered down, Neku turned and glanced downward. Staring at him were Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ventus and Aqua; all wearing expressions of awe. "Are you guys alright?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sora replied. "Neku…is that really you?"

It was an awkward question to be asking, but now that he thought about it there wasn't a clear answer to it. "…I think so. What happened to Jaxuk?"

"He's gone," Ventus said. "You beat him."

"You mind coming down here?" Riku called. "I'm going to get a crick in my neck if I have to stare at the sky all day to talk to you."

Neku could see Sora shooting Riku a warning glare (though it was more like a pout than anything), but he laughed. "Alright, I'm coming." He glided downward, swooping upward a bit and then landing. The moment before he landed on his feet, a burst of white flooded his vision, nearly blinding him, and scattered outward. He looked down just in time to see the pin Joshua gave him clatter to the non-visible floor. He picked it up, examining it and making out the form of some sort of bird. Finally, the design on it was clear enough to see. "The pin," he muttered. "It worked."

"You mean the _pin_ did that?" Riku asked.

"Did what?"

Sora took a deep breath. "Neku…earlier, after Jaxuk hit you with that attack, you came back as some sort of noise."

His heart nearly stopped. _Noise…I became a noise…?_ "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Kairi replied. "Aqua said you were a phoenix."

"Phoenix…?"

"The fiery bird of rebirth," Aqua explained. "It's supposed to only be a myth."

_I became a noise and still turned back human,_ Neku pondered, staring at the pin. _Does that make me a reaper? Wait, if Phoenix is a bird, then that feather…_ He began fumbling in his pockets, but found nothing. The feather was gone.

Ventus blinked. "Something wrong? You're twitching kinda weird."

"The feather," Neku replied. "Sora dropped it, and I picked it up just before Jaxuk hit me…it's gone now."

Aqua blinked. "Feathers don't just disappear."

Biting his lip, Neku stared at the ground. _Maybe it fused with the pin…?_

_**Well done, key bearers.**_

The voice was heard by all. Sora rubbed his neck. "Um…guys? What's going on?"

"We beat Jaxuk," Riku said dryly. "Well…Neku did, but…"

_**Wrong. It was your combined strength that defeated him. You may not feel or know it, but if he had been alone, Neku would not have been strong enough to fight as he did.**_

"I have to agree," Neku replied. "It was you guys that brought me back. When I thought I was done for, I held on because…well…" His voice trailed off. "You know."

"So we can go home now," Kairi said excitedly.

_**Not yet.**_

"What?" Ventus wailed. "Don't tell me there was someone _else_ pulling strings…"

"Knowing how things have gone so far," Riku deadpanned, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was true."

_**Neku Sakuraba, you must make a choice.**_

Neku blinked. "Me? What choice?"

As though to answer him, Music of Shibuya appeared, pulsing in his hand. He glanced at it, but couldn't discern the song it held for him.

_**Your keyblade ties you directly to Shibuya. Its music is tied to you and aids you.**_

He bit his lip, holding the keyblade in both hands. _Thanks to this, Shibuya could have been destroyed…but thanks to this, I haven't died so many times._ He looked up. "As grateful as I am for my home world helping me…I want to give Shibuya back to itself."

Music of Shibuya pulsed in response, rising out of his hands and slowly dissolving into a shower of sparkles before vanishing altogether. Something jerked at Neku's heart, nearly causing him to double over, but something held him still. When it finally vanished, he stood tall again, his senses feeling a bit duller than before.

"You're giving up your keyblade?" Aqua stated. "Why?"

"It ties me with Shibuya," Neku replied, "But Shibuya was mirroring everything I did. I don't want that. It'll be the same as if I was doing what Kitaniji did…using mass imprinting to control everyone. Besides, when I nearly died, Shibuya sacrificed part of itself to keep me alive. I'm giving that part of Shibuya back."

Aqua smiled, and nodded in approval.

Ventus stretched and yawned. "Well, Aqua, think it's about time we had our nap?"

"Nap?" Sora echoed. "What do you mean?"

"We're only ghosts outside of Kingdom Hearts," Ventus explained. "In here we have form. Know what that means?"

"You're dead," Neku finished. "But…how can you…?"

"We're a bit different," Aqua said, looking away. "Kingdom Hearts woke us up, so apparently we were needed. The catch was that if we died again, so to speak, there was no having us back. Kind of like if we were erased in the UG. We'd cease to exist."

"We've been awake for quite a while…we're pretty tired." Ventus stared upward. "Now that Kingdom Hearts is safe again, we're allowed to go back to sleep…"

"But you don't have to," Riku added, finishing Ventus's thought. The blonde nodded.

A shimmering portal of gold appeared nearby, similar to the one that Zidane had used to leave. Through it emerged a young man dressed in long, flared-out pants, a tight blue shirt, and an armored gauntlet that spanned his entire left arm. Dark brown hair spiked back, narrowed eyes examining the area closely. "Am I late?"

Ventus's somber expression turned into a teasing grin. "Yep, and you missed the whole party."

The stranger shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"We were just about to hit the sack, Terra. Wanna come with?"

"Yeah. We could _all _use some rest."

Neku started a bit. So this was Terra…the one that controlled Zidane? He seemed different from the other two, somehow. Neku began to speak, but decided to remain silent.

"Wait!" Sora cried. "You're not leaving forever, are you, Ven? We haven't even known each other for that long…"

"All good things must come to an end sometime or another, Sora," Ven said, smiling sadly. "But I think that sometimes it's _because_ they end that makes them so great."

"Ven's right," Riku said. "Besides, it's about time _we _headed home, too."

Neku nodded. "Right."

Ven grinned. "Well, see ya, everyone."

With a final wave, Terra, Aqua and Ven faded into a myriad of lights, scattering along the trail of memories and vanishing into nothing.

* * *

They stayed on the beach for the rest of the evening until the stars came out. Neku cupped his head behind his hands and lay down on the sand with the others. "I've never seen the stars like this before," he said. "It's really pretty."

"It is," Sora replied. "Back when the heartless were running around, I never noticed, but…there were stars blinking out, one by one. Then, after I beat Xehanort's Heartless and restored the worlds, there were so many stars in the sky again…"

"Which one do you think is Shibuya?"

Sora shrugged. "I dunno. I know that one's the Land of Dragons…that one's Radiant Garden…and I think that one is Twilight Town."

"Speaking of Shibuya," Riku began, "Aren't you worried about everyone there, Neku? Are you sure we shouldn't go ahead and send you home?"

"Shibuya's fine," Neku replied. "When I…when Phoenix appeared, I felt Shibuya being restored, too. They know I'm alright." _But…I do feel kind of homesick._

"The Excalibur is out of commission until morning anyway," Kairi pointed out. "Chip and Dale said the engine is soaked. It'll take a while for it to run smoothly again."

"So we couldn't go now even if we wanted to," Riku moaned, but he chuckled after the statement anyway.

"Not necessarily," Sora replied. "There's more than one way. After all…" He paused, grinning. "Remember? There are many worlds out there, but they all share the same sky."

Whatever Sora meant, Riku must have understood, because he made a hum of agreement and sat up.

Neku sat up as well. "It's kind of weird, now that I think about it. Almost surreal."

"What is?" Kairi asked.

"This whole journey," Neku replied. "When I first met Sora in Shibuya…well, I have to admit it was pretty strange. Joshua told me he was important and that I had to lead Sora to him. Then Sora…entered the UG, and we were stuck with each other for a week."

"We didn't get along well at first, did we?" Sora said, laughing.

Neku chuckled. "No. I remember you punched me in the face after I yelled at you at some point."

"You punched Neku?" Riku gawked. "Wow, Sora. I never knew you had it in you."

"Knock it off!"

"I deserved it though," Neku pointed out. "Sora hadn't told me everything about what he went through…not every detail, at least…so I jumped to conclusions and made accusations. It was only later that I got to hear about Sora's own journey."

Sora smirked. "You didn't believe me at first."

"That, I'll admit," Neku said. "A world under the sea, a whale's belly, an enormous desert, pirates…everything. I hardly believed most of it. And now I've seen it with my own eyes…it's almost surreal, even just sitting here."

"Do you believe me now?"

"Yep."

"Would you believe me if I told you that you haven't seen the half of it?"

"At this point, yeah."

"So what now?" Kairi asked. "We gonna camp out here all night?"

"I'm up for that," Riku replied. "I dunno about you guys, but I really miss this place even after a few days."

Neku smiled sadly. He didn't want to admit it to Sora (even though the boy was giving him a concerned look), but he was feeling homesick himself. _Shiki… Beat… Rhyme… Joshua… Mr. H…I'm coming back. Everything's fine now. I'm just so tired…_

There was a flicker of white from in front of them. Neku rubbed his eyes, staring as a bright light in front of them grew wider and wider, like a doorway opening. Looking into it, Neku was hardly blinded. In fact he could almost _feel_ what was on the other side. Something in the door called to him. "What's…?"

Sora blinked. "The Door to Light?"

Riku chuckled. "Looks like we won't have to give Neku a ride after all," he commented.

Neku was about to question this when he realized what Riku was referring to. The force that called to him…it was Shibuya. He glanced at his friends, smiling. "Well, looks like it's time for me to head home."

"We'll see you again, right?" Kairi asked.

Sora crossed his arms and gave him a beaming smile. "Of course we will!" He said, speaking before Neku could. "Right, Neku?"

Neku opened his mouth to reply with uncertainty, but somewhere in his mind, he knew he'd see them again. Nodding, he grinned. "Yeah. I'll see you guys again."

"Let us know when your next concert is," Riku said. "We'll be sure to come see you guys."

"I'll save you some front row seats," Neku assured them. "Best in the house."

"Say hi to everyone for us," Sora added, "Okay?"

"I will."

With one final goodbye, Neku turned around and took a deep breath, swallowing hard and stepping into the light.

* * *

Footsteps. People talking. The feeling of pavement underneath him. Neku's eyes slid open and he found himself staring at the familiar sight of people passing by him at the Scramble Crossing. Fitting that the light would lead him to the same place death had.

He pushed himself to his feet, looking around and starting forward in order to avoid too many awkward glanced. Pushing his way past the crowd (bumping into someone on purpose to make sure he wasn't dead or dreaming), he made his way to Hachiko in a daze.

No one was waiting for him.

Neku was about to turn and leave when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around just in time to receive a very big hug from Shiki, Mr. Mew tangling from one of her hands. He had a hard time stopping the tears, and over the girl's shoulder, he could see everyone else waiting for him. Beat was grinning widely at him, waiting for a chance to greet his friend. Rhyme just smiled and waved, along with Hanekoma. Joshua, of course, did that sly smirk of his and that was about it.

When Shiki finally pulled away, Neku had his chance to speak. "I'm back."

"We were so worried," Shiki began. "We thought you were done for…and Shibuya, it-"

She was interrupted when Beat took his chance and grabbed Neku and gave him the hardest noogie he could possibly manage. "You had us worried sick, yo! We thought you was a gonner til that bird showed up…"

"Bird?" Neku questioned when he was released from Beat's grip.

"Yeah," Rhyme replied. "This huge bird came when Shibuya was about to fall to pieces, and suddenly everything was okay again."

Neku chuckled uneasily. "Looks like I have some explaining to do."

"Tell us everything!" Shiki exclaimed.

"Well, not _here_…"

"Why don't we head on over to WildKat?" Hanekoma suggested. "Everything's on the house today in celebration."

"Booyaka!"

"Thanks, Mr. H!"

Of course, once they reached the café, the onslaught of questions began.

"Come on, Neku! I wanna hear everything that happened!"

"Yeah! Where'd you guys go?"

"What was it like on that other world?"

"Were there any Nobodies?"

Neku smiled widely. "Well, you guys probably won't believe half of it…"

Shiki grinned. "Neku, we've been to several of the worlds that you've been to. We'll believe you, promise."

"Well, when we got past the route…"

Everyone sat listening intently as Neku began explaining the remaining events of their journey. Hanekoma went around preparing donuts and pancakes for their orders, and Joshua only stood by and watched, having already known what had happened then. The group gasped in awe as the story was told, and by the time it was done, they were all smiling with joy. Neku sat back in his chair, remembering the last thing he had heard before he left Destiny Islands.

_We'll see you again, Neku. It's a promise._

**The End.**

* * *

I hate writing endings…it's like saying good-bye to an old friend.

Well, it had to happen eventually…_Chasing The Truth_ is done. As much as I am relieved that it's done, I'm going to miss writing it. I was so surprised when _Playing_ _For_ _Keeps_ became as popular as it is, and _Chasing The Truth_ wasn't planned to be quite as long as it is. So many elements came and went, some being used, some being forgotten, some scenes deleted, some plot points being added in at the last second. I had no idea this story would turn out like it is now. Thank you all for reading _Chasing The Truth_, and stay tuned for the epilogue!

-FlikFreak


	48. Epilogue

**Chasing The Truth**

**By FlikFreak**

**Epilogue**

* * *

Shibuya was unnaturally quiet now. Neku supposed it was because he had been so used to the keyblade, but he also attributed it to the lack of chaos. There were no nobodies, no heartless, no buildings falling apart or pavement shattering…everything was the way it should be. He couldn't even hear the music, though he knew it was there.

But still, he felt a bit empty.

"Come on, Neku. You're supposed to eat your lunch, not stare at it."

Sighing, Neku prodded his sushi with his chopstick, but still didn't bother eating any. "I dunno, Shiki…"

The seamstress frowned thoughtfully. "You thinking about it again, aren't you?"

A shrug. "Yeah. I miss them."

"We'll see them again," Shiki assured him. "You said they promised."

Neku nodded. "I know. I guess I'm just adjusting to having a more or less normal life again."

"I am too," Shiki admitted, sighing.

Normal life was almost like a dream to Neku now. He had gone through so much those past days that he could hardly keep track of anything anymore…for a while he even forgot his own last name. Only when he returned to Shibuya was he snapped back into reality, and he noticed how strange everything was.

Destiny Islands, Sora's home world, was like the opposite of Shibuya. It was a small place, hardly populated, and immensely peaceful. The music there had been calm as well. Neku sighed as he remembered Sora's expression when he recognized his home. "I wonder how everyone's doing…" he muttered.

Shiki looked at Neku worriedly. "Have you heard from them?"

"No," Neku replied. "I've got a letter written for them inviting them to our next concert, but I haven't sent it yet."

"You didn't give it to Hanekoma?"

"He's got his hands tied organizing and everything. I couldn't reach him."

Shiki looked away for a moment thoughtfully. "Well, there's another way you could get it to them."

Neku hesitated. "…there is?"

"Yeah. Kairi told me about it at Radiant Garden…"

* * *

The Shibuya River was as silent as it always was. Rhyme followed Neku in, claiming that her brother was off skateboarding. As they entered, the girl gave a strange expression. Neku looked at her in concern. "Something wrong?"

"There's a bit of mist in here," Rhyme replied. "But it's nothing serious. I think it's always been here."

"You can still sense it?"

"Yeah. I don't even notice it most of the time, though."

Neku paused as they entered Rubicon, staring at the flow of water in front of them. Konishi's bridge was still up, but he wasn't planning on crossing. Rhyme gave Neku a curious look. "What're you doing?"

"Sending an invitation," Neku replied vaguely, smiling. He didn't have a glass bottle, but he figured that an empty soda bottle would work just as well. Shrugging, he pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it into the river – regardless of whether or not it was a sewer – and watched it disappear.

Rhyme tilted her head, a hint of a wince in her expression. "Neku, isn't that considered polluting?"

Neku shook his head. "Not if you're sending it to someone."

"Sending…?" Rhyme echoed. "There's an invitation in it?"

"Yeah," Neku replied, nodding. "I talked to Shiki about it…she said Kairi sent Sora a letter in the same way. This is a bit unorthodox, though, because normally you use an ocean rather than a sewer and I'm using a plastic bottle instead of a glass one…"

"I sure hope they get it," Rhyme said, sitting on the edge of the river and dangling her feet off the side.

Neku took a place next to her. "They will, Rhyme," he replied. "They will."

* * *

Sora sighed, leaning against the lopsided paopu tree. "I guess it takes longer than I thought to get used to the quiet."

Roxas, whom had appeared in spectral form and taken a perch atop the sideways trunk, shrugged. "I had the lucky experience of getting a memory wipe when I went from leaving the Organization to joining that fake Twilight Town. Still, though…sometimes I kind of miss all that chaos of having to chase down the Zoners."

"Really?"

"Nah. I'm glad it's over with."

"Thought so."

Roxas sighed. "I miss Neku, though. He's a neat kid."

"We're going to see him again," Sora insisted.

"You sure?" Roxas replied. "He's across the universe from us."

Sora shrugged. "So? Even if we're apart, our hearts unite us again. Aerith told me that two years ago."

There was a moment of silence before Roxas stared back out to sea, smirking. "Heh…I guess you're right, there."

"What about Xenuk? Do you miss him?"

It was Roxas's turn to shrug. "I do, but I think he's happy where he is now. Plus, it's like Ven said. It's because things end that makes them so great."

"If they went on forever, they'd have no meaning," Sora agreed. "A lot of people care about what happens in the beginning or the middle, but the ending is important, too. If the ending wasn't there, then it'd all be meaningless. He had no regrets with what he did. I'm sad, but I'm sort of happy for him, too. He did what his heart told him to."

Roxas nodded, hopping off of the tree trunk. "Yeah."

"Sora!"

The brunette glanced up, and Roxas vanished. Racing toward him from the dock was none other than Kairi, looking rather surprised. "What's up, Kairi?" Sora called.

"I found a letter," Kairi replied, pausing and holding up a plastic bottle. "I think it's for you."

Sora blinked. Wondering about the sender, he unscrewed the top of the bottle and pulled out a rolled-up envelope, ripping it open and pulling out the letter.

_Dear Sora,_

_It's been a while since we last saw each other, huh? Two months? It's almost hard to believe that our journey even happened. Rhyme says she doesn't sense mist anymore, but Joshua said that's only because there isn't normally mist in Shibuya. Shiki's been making a whole bunch of new outfits; she says a lot of them are based on the people we saw. Beat's been skateboarding as usual, but it took him a while to stop keeping a sharp eye on Rhyme._

_Leon and Yuffie came to visit a few days ago to see how Shibuya was doing. There are hardly any heartless or nobodies causing trouble for them in Radiant Garden; they say only the 'local variety' are what they have to deal with. I don't know what that means, but it seems like they're having an easier time of it._

_We're holding a concert next month. Hanekoma says it's going to be our biggest yet. We wrote a song especially for you guys. See you there?_

_-Neku_

Attached to the letter were three front-row tickets.

_**Go for it, Sora.**_

"Hey Kairi, go get Riku. I'm going to contact Chip and Dale."

"Huh? What for?"

Sora grinned. "I promised Neku, didn't I?"

**The End.**


	49. Special Secret: Distortion

Oh...?

**Special Secret: Distortion**

* * *

"Our worlds are in discord. You know this."

"But we can't do much to stop it. Thanks to the heartless, everything's been messed around with."

"But what can we do? We no longer exist the way we should."

"Surely there must be a way to conclude this chaos. If we do not do something soon..."

Two faded figures had gathered in a void. One was an elderly lady, dressed in robes colored in earthly tones. In her hand was a large staff topped with a teal orb. Standing before her was a younger boy wearing a large, violet cloak, his face obscured. Both were partially transparent, their forms wavering in a spectral fashion.

The boy spoke with a tone more mature than one would expect. "More worlds than our own are at stake. If we are to restore them to the way they were, then we must take action immediately."

"And how do you suggest we do this? Surely our power alone will not be enough..."

"It won't," The boy replied. "But maybe the keybearer may be of some help to us."

The elderly woman started at this. "Sora? He is hardly older than-"

"I know," the boy interrupted. "That's what makes him so strong, I think. But he can't come alone. Our worlds are more dangerous than the others."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

The boy folded his arms. "I have an idea, but we'll have to be quick. I'll need your help with this. If we combine our strengths, then we may be able to stem the flow of time before the destruction is absolute."

"What can you do?"

"Until my power is released, the most I can do is enter their dreams. Anything beyond that is up to them..."

And as they vanished, they returned to their worlds, wrought with chaos and trapped in an endless loop of time.

* * *

The tossing and turning wouldn't end. His dreams were filled with vague statements, one after another, from many sources. All jumbled up and forced together like that one puzzle piece that seems like a match but really isn't.

"_Everything – your journey to come here, the battles you've fought – they mean nothing."_

"_They are using you! You people are nothing but puppets!"_

"_Even with that power, we cannot change what has passed..."_

"_We're all just blindly following orders. My heart and my will mean nothing to them."_

"_Why not ask your precious Phoenix?"_

"_This may be our last chance."_

"_Even a stray has his pride."_

"_Are you ready, you whom is one yet many?"_

"_Every story must have an ending."_

Eyes snapped open from fitful slumber as the dream faded. Slowly, there was a grunt, and Sora pushed himself out fo his bed. He had dealt with strange dreams before – the one where he had first fought Darkside came to mind – but something about this one simply stuck with him and refused to let go. Something nagged strongly at the back of his mind, and it wasn't Roxas.

He never saw the figure of a young, hooded boy in his window.

* * *


End file.
